Irrigation Requirement for Eucalyptus pellita during Initial Growth

Dwinata Aprialdi,Bjørn Kløve,Muhammad Ibnu Haiban,Ali Torabi Haghighi

doi:10.3390/w11101972

Abstract

The growth of Eucalyptus pellita in forestry plantations requires attention to water requirements, especially in the initial growth phase from seedling to field-ready plant. In this study, actual evapotranspiration (ETa), crop coefficient (Kc), and the irrigation requirement of E. pellita were assessed during the nursery growth phase (day 40–142). The experimental set-up included lysimeters with different treatments in terms of plants, drainage, and soil conditions. Plant growth and water balance were monitored during June September 2018 in an open nursery area in Riau, Indonesia. ETa was determined by the water balance lysimeter method and potential (reference) evapotranspiration (ETo) was extracted based on the Penman-Monteith method (FAO/56). The results showed that the average Kc value for E. pellita at age 40–142 days is 0.79, which exceeds that reported for E. grandis. The recommended irrigation requirement varies depending on precipitation, from 70 mL/plant/day with no rainfall to zero at precipitation of >30 mm/day. This is the first study to assess water use in E. pellita growing in pots during the nursery phase, which provides guidance on irrigation requirements during their initial growth phase.

Highlights

Eucalyptus is a main forest crop in tropical and subtropical regions
An irrigation and E. pellita growth experiment was carried out from June 2018 to September 2018 in an open nursery belonging to the Sinarmas Forestry plantation company, located in Perawang district, Riau province, Indonesia (0°41′39′’ N; 101°36′21′’ E; 16 m asl) (Figure 1)
The experimental lysimeter set-up used in this study enabled a good understanding of water balance components for Eucalyptus pellita

Summary

Introduction

Eucalyptus is a main forest crop in tropical and subtropical regions. Forestry plantation in Indonesia has become a large-scale industry producing timber and wood pulp on more than 5 million hectares. On mineral soils, these plantations are based on Eucalyptus pellita, as a source of pulp and paper products [2,3]. Eucalyptus pellita grows rapidly, with a straight stem, and has high tolerance to various soil types and high resistance to pests and diseases [4]. Eucalyptus pellita is susceptible to soil moisture stress due to its rapid growth, driven by high photosynthetic and transpiration rates [6]. Low soil water availability restricts plant growth, especially in seasonally dry regions

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion