EFFECT OF SOME ESTABLISHMENT PRACTICES ON EARLY GROWTH OF EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS ( SMITH) ON POOR QUALITY SOILS OF FOOTHILLS OF NORTH INDIA.

Abstract

EUCALYPTUS SEEDLINGS PLANTED ON LIGHT TEXTURED ALLUVIUM OF THE FOOTHILLS OF NORTHERN INDIA SUFFER HEAVY CASUALITIES DURING ESTABLISHMENT STAGE DUE TO THE LOW NUTRIENT AND WATER HOLDING CAPACITY OF POOR QUALITY SOILS. IN THE EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED ON LIGHT TEXTURED ALLUVIAL SOILS ( UDIC USTOCREPTS) NEAR CHANDIGARH DURING 1984-85, EFFORTS WERE MADE TO ENHANCE THE WIDE AND 60 cm DEEP ( 6 X 60 ) AUGERHOLES ( AH) , 6 X 120 cm AH AND 6 x 180 cM AH PROGRESSIVELY GAINED MORE HEIGHT , BASAL DIAMETER AND ROOT- SHOOT RATIO AS COMPARED TO THE USUAL METHOD OF 30 X 30 X 30 cm PIT PLANTING. THE AH PLANTED SEEDLINGS DEVELOPED DEEP ROOT SYSTEM TO EXPLOIT MOISTURE FROM LOWER SOIL LAYERS WHEN SURFACE SOIL DRIED DURING THE POST MONSOON PERIOD. SUITABLE DOSES OF FYM , BURNT RICE HUSK AND NITROGEN PER PLANT IN THE AH HAVE ALSO BEEN IDENTIFIED.