Article 2 min read
Monitoring plant stress to prepare for a changing climate
Published On
7 October 2025
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To mitigate the impacts of climate change and water stress on our trees, Sappi focuses heavily on advanced tree breeding and enhanced silvicultural practices to develop trees that are more resilient to biotic and abiotic threats, such as frost, drought, pests, and diseases. Such threats are expected to become more prevalent due to climate change.
Sappi’s Land Management and Pest and Disease programmes are conducting extensive research on:
- stress detection
- tree health
- climate change forecasting
- site classification for better site-genotype matching
- risk mapping
- nutritional studies
- site resilience
- biological control measures
These efforts are complemented by a national pest and disease survey.
One of the simplest and most affordable remote sensing techniques for identifying and tracking plant stress is thermal imaging, also known as thermography.
Thermal imaging involves sensing an object’s emitted heat energy from a distance and using that information to convert the surface temperature or radiation into visible two-dimensional colour tones (thermal signature). Important details about the physiological state of a tree can be found in the thermal signature.
Thermal imaging has been used in conjunction with other techniques to screen for and identify plant stresses and diseases prior to their manifestation. In addition, thermal imaging is also being actively implemented during the fire season to assess fire severity and the risk of fire resurgence.
Sappi is also involved in a collaborative project approved by Forestry South Africa in 2023, with partial funding from the Department of Science and Innovation’s Sector Innovation Fund. This project simulates reduced rainfall on various genotypes and includes a tree physiology study to explore the relationship between drought tolerance and recovery. The initial phase involves growing eight genotypes under controlled irrigation conditions in a nursery tunnel.
Through these comprehensive R&D initiatives, Sappi is proactively adapting our plantations to the challenges posed by climate change, ensuring their resilience and sustainability for the future.
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