Paraserianthes falcataria is a fast-growing leguminous tree species with widespread natural distribution in tropical lowland to mountainous habitats in areas ranging from the Moluccas to the Solomon Islands (Fosberg 1965, Nielsen et al. 1983, Parrotta 1990). Three subspecies are recognised, namely, subsp. falcataria, distributed in the Moluccas Islands and New Guinea; subsp. solomonensis distributed in the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands; and subsp. fulva, endemic to the central mountainous part of New Guinea (Nielsen et al. 1983). Individuals grow up to 40 m tall and > 100 cm in diameter. Its wood is used for manufacturing furniture, cabinets, plywood and particleboard (Rojo et al. 1993). This species is widely planted in the tropics (Rojo et al. 1993) and it is one of the most commonly used species in plantations in Indonesia (Cossalter & Pye-Smith 2003, Siregar et al. 2007). To promote sustainable tropical forestry with fast-growing species, an intensive P. falcataria breeding programme was started in 2003 and a seed orchard was established in East Java, Indonesia with funds from the Japanese Ministry of Environment.