Initial Plant Vigor and Short Rotation Coppices Improve Vegetable Production in Vitex doniana Sweet (Lamiaceae)

Abstract

Vitex doniana is a major but threatened economic plant collected as a leafy vegetable and fruit in West Africa. How the species withstands coppicing as an agricultural management practice was investigated in this research. Three seedling vigor classes (10–25 mm, 25–30 mm, 30–40 mm) and two coppicing heights (20 and 40 cm) were compared to controls in eight replicates using a randomized complete block design. Mixed effect models were used to compare the effects of treatments on sprouting intensity, sprout growth, and biomass yield in the short (12 months) and medium term (three and five years). Results indicated that V. doniana is a fast-growing species, with heights between 2.72–7.73 m and diameter at breast height between 4.46–14.64 cm in five years. Vigorous (basal diameter > 30 mm) and shorter coppices (20 cm high) produced a higher number of sprouts. Although biomass yield was relatively higher on high coppices, the difference was not statistically significant. While a more severe harvesting regime was detrimental to plant growth, V. doniana can be managed to produce both vegetables and fuel wood in the medium term. These findings are significant for further improvement of the species, for food security, and climate resilience.

Impacts of Teak Defoliator (Hyblaea puera) in Carbon Accumulation in Teak (Tectona grandis) Plantation Forest

“…The Species Teak (Tectona grandis) is considered to be one of the most valuable timber trees in Southeast Asia due to its outstanding wood properties which rank third among the tropical hardwood species in plantation areas and constitute about 8 percent of the plantations worldwide [1]- [3]. This relatively fast-growing species of the family Lamiaceae has an attractive natural color and is valuable for high-quality furniture and interior finishing [4]- [6]. The incidence of teak defoliator affected trees ranged from 5 to 10% across all inspected commercial fields in the world [7].…”