INFLUENCE OF HARVEST RESIDUE MANAGEMENT, WEED CONTROL, LEGUME COVER CROPPING AND SOIL TRENCHING ON EUCALYPTUS PRODUCTIVITY IN KERALA, INDIA

Abstract

The impact of harvest residue management, weed control, cover cropping with legumes and soil trenching on productivity of Eucalyptus tereticornis and E. grandis was examined for three years after establishment of four plantations in Kerala, India. Four sites were examined in this study, two each with E. tereticornis and E. grandis, representing a wide range in climate and fertility. Harvest residue management had no effect on plantation productivity in the short term of this study. Complete weeding enhanced plantation productivity of E. tereticornis at three years, with volume increases of up to 141% compared with spot-weeded treatments. Strip weeding (1 m strips along the tree rows) did not improve productivity compared with spot-weeded treatments. Effects of legume intercropping on the growth of E. tereticornis was tested using three legume species, namely, Pueraria phaseoloides, Stylosanthes hamata and Mucuna bracteata. Legume cover-cropping had no effect on tree growth, suggesting that the legume cover crops had a lower competitive effect compared with weeds. Soil trenching also had no short-term effect on plantation productivity of E. grandis and E. tereticornis.