INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The first batch of Super Paulownia (Lot No: SPML S2015) was brought in to Malaysia on the Feb. 10, 2015. It was given to Green Afforestation International Network Sdn Bhd (Gain Green) to be multiplied in its tissue culture laboratory as a trial clone.
The certified disease-free of 5 explants with 3 inches in height has successfully been multiplied within 30 days, and the clones have been tried in the field for 12 months. The trial result showed that all of the Super Paulownia didn’t manage to surpass the “7 months mystery” when the trees stunted in growth after 7 months.
A final batch of about 1200 seedlings of Super Paulownia was propagated in the tissue culture laboratory one more time, after numerous attempts on the field were not successful. These plants had passed through numerous combinations of different chemical stress growth mediums and exposed to different LED lights. The purpose of these attempts was to force switch some of the silent genes that may have the ability and bigger chance to survive in tropical climate than the original features in Super Paulownia and improve its characteristics.
The new batch of 1200 saplings (Lot No: SPML CL2016) was brought to the farm for a trial for another growth cycle, and out of all of them, 5 saplings pulled through the “7 months mystery” and managed to grow extremely rapidly. The growth performance of these 5 trees was faster compared with other Paulownia data, which Gain Green could generate from the market. If to compare Gain Green species with others, the trunk size of this 2 years old Paulownia almost reached the size of a 4 years old trunk cut of Paulownia elongata species from the USA.
Presently, these 5 mother stocks are still growing in the Revotropix Paulownia Research Farm located at Rembau and reach their 5th-year growth. Their breast height diameter is more than 20 inches and their height between 45ft to 50ft. These special 5 trees clone were named: Revotropix Paulownia because they overcame the “7 months mystery” and survived in tropical climates.
In October 2019, Gain Green decided to incorporate a new subsidiary Gain Green Development, due to the successful planting of Revotropix Paulownia in Malaysia. The subsidiary’s ultimate aim is to increase a fixed ratio of the seedlings production of Revotropix Paulownia from their mother stocks. It focuses on providing enough plantation supply, meeting the timber market’s requirement, and promoting the Revotropix Paulownia planting.
Gain Green Development collected samples from these 5 mother stocks trees for further multiplication and scaled up the production. It has also taken the initiative to multiply and improve certain processes in propagating more clones derived from these 5 mother stocks. It also carries out regular researches and development (R&D) for clone improvement and process improvement for large-scale production.
Gain Green has submitted the application of Revotropix Paulownia clone to Plant Variety Registration Section, Crop Quality Control Division, Department of Agriculture with the filing reference number PVBT 045/18 under Protection of New Plant Varieties Act 2004.
On 27th May 2019 and 18th August 2020, the Revotropix Paulownia Research Farm was visited by the technical team from Plant Variety Protection (PVP), which collected the necessary data and did the analysis required for a new plant clone registration.
