Variation in Growth, Biomass Production and its Components in Eucalyptus Clones

Abstract

Eucalypts are among the most widely cultivated forest trees in the world under a range of different climates for products that include pulp, paper fuel wood and solid wood products such as poles, furniture and construction timber. Large scale plantations have been raised in government owned and private farm lands; the planting is continuing. Productivity and profitability of plantations of Eucalyptus have been revolutionized with the development of genetically improved, fast growing and high yielding clonal planting stock of Eucalypts. Eucalypts clonal planting has been said to have advantages which includes quick provision of benefits associates with fast growth, short rotation for production of pulp wood (of around 70 t ha -1 in 6 years) ready marketing and easy establishment and less maintenance needs. Clonal planting one among the approach for management of water and nutrients compared to the other conventional strategies. Studies relating to clonal difference and evaluation for dry matter production will help to overcome productivity loss due to deficit rainfall and optimum utilization of available natural resources for higher wood production. The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis that there exists a clonal variation in growth, biomass production and components and the present study gives an insight in to clonal variation with reference to growth, biomass production and components.