Effect of Spacing on Growth, Biomass Yield and Quality of Leucaena (<i>Leucaena leucocephala</i> (Lam.) de Wit.) for Renewable Energy in Thailand

Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of spacing on the growth, biomass production and wood quality of leucaena in order to be used as a fuel crop. Leucaena was grown in a field experiment at the Suwanvajokkasikit Research Station, Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand in 2006-2010. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. The treatment consisted of six spacings (1 × 0.25, 1 × 0.5, 1 × 1, 1 × 1.5, 2 × 0.5 and 2 × 1 m). The results showed that spacing had a significant effect on plant height, diameter at breast height, the number of coppice stumps and biomass yield. Wider spacings resulted in greater plant height. The widest spacing (2 × 1 m) exhibited the higher stem diameter and sprout number than the narrow spacing. The narrowest spacing of 1 × 0.25 m spacing produced the highest total dry weight of leaf, woody stem and biomass yield. The spacing did not have an influence on the heating value and the content of H, N, S, Mg, Cl and ash. However, some of the chemical compositions show significant different with different spacings such as C, O, P, K and Ca content.

Growth and yield of teak stands at different spacing

“…As the useful area per plant increased, there was a greater increase in mean diameter, but a reduction in total basal area and volume with bark. According to other studies on several forest species (Leite et al, 2006;Lima et al, 2009;Chotchutima et al, 2013;Zahabu et al, 2015;Silva et al, 2016), mean square diameter, basal area, and volume with bark were also affected by the same spacing assessed in the present work. Silva et al (2016) evaluated the spacing of 3×2, 4×2, 5×2, 6×2, 3×2×2, 4×2×2, 5×2×2, and 6×2×2 m in teak populations at 192 months of age, and concluded that the lower the density of trees, the larger the diameter, and the higher the density, the greater the basal area and the volume with bark per hectare.…”

“…During rotation (Figures 3 and 4), it was observed that spacing affected all studied variables, with a less significant effect on total height, showing that teak is sensitive to intraspecific competition (Caldeira & Oliveira, 2008;Pelissari et al, 2013). In the closer spacing, due to a higher demand for nutrients, water, and solar radiation, there may be a reduction in the number of buds, in the size of branches, and in the production of leaves (Forrester et al, 2010;Chotchutima et al, 2013). It should be pointed out that, although essential to explain growth and production, the effect of spacing on plant physiology was not assessed in the present study, indicating the need for new researches on the topic.…”

Production and Regression Models for Biomass and Carbon Captured in Gmelina arborea Roxb. Trees in Short Rotation Coppice Plantations in Costa Rica

“…Bergkvist and Ledin [56] also mentioned that maximum yields are generally achieved early in plantations with reduced spacing. However, such behavior may change with increasing age in G arborea SRC systems, for, as mentioned, under these growing conditions, wider spacing can exhibit the highest biomass yield in the long term [17,55,57,58]; as the rotation length increases, the early advantage of close spacing becomes lost [56].…”

Nine Indonesian Populations of Leucaena leucochepala (Lam.) de Wit. for Wood-Energy Breeding versus var. Tarramba

“…kalor bisa mencapai 4.700 cal.g -1 , kerapatan kayu 0,67 g.cm -3 , dan ditanam dengan rapat mempunyai kandungan lignin yang tinggi mendekati 33 persen (Mainoo, & Ulzen-Appiah, 1996;Chotchutima, Kangvansaichol, Tudsri, & Sripichitt, 2013). Lamtoro gung juga sangat potensial untuk diproses menjadi arang, briket dan briket arang maupun pelet kayu (Acda & Devera, 2014 (Pers.comm.…”