Growth of pruned eucalypt clone in an agroforestry system in southeastern Brazil. (Special Issue: Managing native and non-native plants in agroforestry systems.)

摘要

This study aimed to identify pruning intensity and frequency that can be applied to eucalypt without imposing growth reduction, in an agroforestry system in Brazil (17 degrees 36'S and 46 degrees 42'W). Pruning treatments included removal of 0, 1/4 and 1/3 of the live crown height (LCH) with or without the removal of some thick branches above this height (TBA), in three or four lifts, which started at 9 months. There was no effect of pruning on tree height. Diameter (dbh) and volume per tree decreased (P<=0.05) only with the removal of 1/3 of the LCH+TBA, of all trees of the stand, in three lifts, up to 36 months. The Weibull diameter distribution curves showed a higher proportion of trees in the greatest diameter classes with the removal of 1/4 or 1/3 of the LCH+TBA of selected trees, in four lifts, at the age of 36 months. The time required for applying pruning to a height of 6 m did not differ among treatments (P