PLANT HEIGHT MODEL FOR EUCALYPTUS PLANTATIONS FOR BIODRAINAGE USE

Abstract

Biodrainage is advocated for controlling seepage, water logging and salt accumulation in root zone due to its excessive ET demand. Eucalyptus is most suitable for establishing biodrainage belt. Farmers are also growing as a sole plantations crop for meeting timber. Eucalyptus wood has got different uses in different sector. Eucalyptus logs are most commonly used for preparing shuttering of building construction. Its plies in boxes are used for making fruits packing. It is also used in paper and pulp industry. Its chips are used making particles board. Many times, shelter belt of eucalyptus are also develop protect in area under varying topographic situation and climatic condition. It can be successfully grown on marginal, saline, sodic and waterlogged land. It is fast growing tree and its economic return depends on its height and girth. It's used for biodraining waterlogged land depend upon the plant height and canopy cover. Information on plant height relation to plantation age will be quite useful for optimizing net return from agricultural block. Use of eucalyptus plant for biodrainage waterlogged soil is based on the highest evapotranspirative demand. Which is again a function of plant height, thus plant height modeling with plantation age can provide a base for optimization economic return and water table and salinity management. Annual budgeting of ground water extraction is required for designing biodrainage belt. Eucalyptus plant's height keeps on increasing up to the age of 8 to 10 years. In the present study a best fitting correlation model was identified describing plant height response with age of eucalyptus using lysimetric data. The Weibull Model described tree height with age extremely well with r = 0.9998 and S = 0.0419. The Weibull Model predicted eucalyptus plant heights were found to be 3.35, 5.92, 9.39, 12.68, 15.07, 16.47, 17.12, 17.37, 17.45 and 17.4 7 m for every month of December over a period of 10 years. The Weibull Model predicted maximum plant height of 17.12 m in seven year matching well with reported plant height data in the literature. The present model could be used for estimating height of eucalyptus trees at different age in biodrainage belt.