AN EUCALYPTUS AND BHABAR GRASS PLANTATION SYSTEM TO OPTIMIZE RESOURCE USE FOR BIOMASS PRODUCTION IN THE FOOTHILLS OF SUB- TROPICAL NORTH INDIA

Abstract

PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A FIELD STUDY CONDUCTED DURING 1984-91 ON ERODED ALLUVIAL SOIL WITH BHABAR GRASS ( EULALIOPSIS BINATA) UNIFORMLY INTERCROPPED UNDER EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS PLANTED AT 2500 ha-1 FOR POLEWOOD IN A NORTH - SOUTH ORIENTED PAIRED ROWS SYSTEM ALLOWING BETTER CANOPY ADJUSTMENTS AND LIGHT CONDITIONS. THE RESPONSE TO SIX EUCALYPTUS PLANTING TREATMENTS I.E USUSAL PITS OF 0.3 M3 (TI) , SHALLOW AUGERHOLES SAH (6 X 60 cm ) (T2) , DEEP AUGERHOLE DAH ( 6 X 120 cm ) (T3), DAH FILLED WITH 1 KG FARM YARD MANURE ( FYM) ( T4) DAH FILLED WITH 1 KG OF RICE HUSK (RH) (5) AND DAH +FYM +RH (T6) WAS STUDIED TO FIND OUT THE BEST PRACTICE THAT PROMOTES TREE GROWTH AND MINIMIZES COMPETITION FOR MOISTURE. AFTER SEVEN YEARS, THE BEST TREATMENT OF DAH+FYM (T4) , AND THE WORST PIT PLANTING (T1) RECORDED A SURVIVAL OF 84 AND 53% DBH OF 9.7 ANF 8.6cm , POLE BIOMASS OF 67.1 AND 28.5 AIR DRY TONNES , MARKETABLE NUMBER OF POLES 21009 AND 1328 AND ANNUAL NET RETURNS FROM TREES AND GRASS RS 10659 AND RS 6239 ha-1 yr-1 , RESPECTIVELY AGAINST RS 700 HA-1 YR-1 FROM RAINFED FIELD CROPS. DAH WITHOUT FYM (T3) AND SAH (T2) FOLLOWED THE BEST TREATMENT . RICE HUSK ( HIGH CN RATIO) SERIOUSLY DEPRESSED TREE GROWTH. THE GRASS YIELD UNDER TREE PLANTING TREATMENTS WAS ALMOST UNIFORM AND VARIED FROM 11 t ha-1 IN GOOD TO 2 t ha-1 IN POOR RAINFALL YEARS.