Growth and Structural Development of Tectona grandis in Different Cultivation Systems in Brazil

Abstract

The objective of the research was to assess the growth and structural changes of clonal and seed-origin teak trees in monoculture and agroforestry systems. The experiment was established in a randomized complete block design with six replicates. Eight treatments were etablished consisting of combinations of two propagation types (clonal and seed-origin), two types of cultivation systems until the age of 24 months (monoculture and taungya system with maize) and two types of cultivation system after 24 months of age (monoculture and silvopastoral systems). 
 
 The data were analyzed by modeling the growth and yield, diameter distribution and diameter class ingrowth. The technical age of thinning was then determined by the percent entries method. Independent of the cultivation system, clonal trees presented greater tree height and diameter than seed-origin trees. Regarding the cultivation systems, systems ending in a monoculture phase presented greater tree height and diameter than systems ending in a silvopastoral phase. In terms of structure, represented by the evolution of diameter distribution, seed-origin trees and systems ending in a silvopastural phase resulted in flatter and broader distributions than clonal trees and final monoculture phase. Overall, the technical age of the first thinning varied from 6 to 9 years, being earlier for clonal trees in monoculture and later for seed-origin trees in systems ending in a silvopastoral phase. The slower growth and greater variability in silvopastoral systems with seed-origin teak tree can be attributed to the genetic variability of the trees associated competition with the brachiaria grass, which also made the plants more susceptible to the attack of pests.

O cenário nacional da silvicultura da Tectona grandis e suas perspectivas econômicas / The national forestry scenario Tectona grandis its economic prospects

“…Todas estas características da madeira que são estudadas por diversos pesquisadores confirmam e explicam o motivo da grande utilização da madeira de teca, pois a mesma pode ser empregada desde em produtos simples até em produtos com altíssimo valor agregado, o que torna o conhecimento sobre as características de produção desta espécie tão importante para o bom desenvolvimento das tecnologias silviculturais da mesma em diferentes condições edafoclimáticas. Essa dificuldade no desenvolvimento tem um impacto direto na produtividade da biomassa acima do solo, bem como impacta diretamente na qualidade da lenha produzida nestes sítios com baixa presença ou ausência de nutrientes e dificuldades nos tratos silviculturais da espécie (BEHLING et al, 2014;MEDEIROS et al, 2019).…”

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“…The large-scale production of this species is due to its adaptation in the edaphoclimatic conditions mainly in the Mato Grosso state, allied to the use of more productive genotypes and optimal management regimes. That has increased the extensive cultivation of the species, increasing the productivity rates in the state (Medeiros et al, 2019;Passos et al, 2006;Pelissari et al, 2014).…”