COMPARATIVE GROWTH RATES OF SEEDLING ORIGIN, FIRST GENERATION COPPICE AND SECOND GENERATION COPPICE ORIGIN CROPS OF EUCALYPTUS HYBRID

摘要

Eucalypts were introduced in Madhya Pradesh as early as in the year 1962-63. Earlier plantatior.s of Eucalyptus spp. were taken up only at a small scale, as introduction trials. Subsequently, plantations of E. hybrid were done on large scale to meet the demands of poles, pulpwood and fuel wood but these plantations could not put on expected rate, of growth. An exercise was undertaken to analyse the growth data of E. hybrid crop of seedling origin and those of coppice origin of first and second generations. Analysis of the data reveals that mean annual increment (MAI) of height and girth at breast height of first generation coppice crop are 1.83 m and 4.3 cm as against 1.4 m and 3.3 cm. of the corresponding figures for seedling origin crop. Thus, therate of growth of first generation coppice is faster than that of seedling origin crop. However, the rate of growth of second generation coppice crop was found slightly slower (MAI for height 0.87 m and for GBH 2.8 cm), than the seedling origin crop butstill, it would be advisable to allow the second generation coppice crop to grow and harvest it later, rather than go to raise fresh plantation, in view of high cost of raising new plantation.