Planting density and cutting interval effects on productivity of calliandra callothyrsus (L.) Meissen
2001
Diriba Geleti (Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization, Addis Abeba (Ethiopia))
The study was conducted at Bako Agricultural Research Center in sub humid climate of western Ethiopia from 1997-1999 to determine the optimum plant density and cutting interval at which Calliandra callothyrsus (L.) Meissen gives optimum forage and wood biomass. Two factors were considered in the experiment. A population of 6,666, 8,888, 13,333 and 17,777 plants per hectare and a cutting interval of 6, 8 and 10 weeks were arranged in a split plot configuration with the farmer as the main plot and the latter as subplot factor. Nursery raised seedlings were transplanted to permanent field in June 1997. Data on leaf, stem and total biomass dry matter (DM) yields were recorded during the 1998 and 1999 cropping seasons and subjected to the interaction between plant population and of the tree crop on cutting regines across the range of plant densities. Thus the average effects of the two factors were presented separately. The effect of plant density was highly significant for leaf (p0.001), stem (p0.01) and total biomass (p0.001) for 1998 cropping season. In 1999, the same trend was also observed for all the traits considered. Though not significant, higher leaf and total biomass during the 1999 was obtained from 10 weekly harvest. In conclusion, leaf, stem and total biomass production of calliandra can be manipulated by the legume tree density and cutting interval. High stand density and longer interval between cuttings gave highest total DM yields. On the contrary, reduced number of plants per hectare and interval between harvests consistently resulted in less DM accumulation for all traits. A long cutting interval particularly benefited stem yield without being detrimental to leaf and would be appropriate in situations where fuel wood is an important byproduct.
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