Loading...
Citations
Altmetric:
Keywords
Date
1999-09-01
Collections
Files
Loading...
eopr-4078.pdf
Adobe PDF, 75.41 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
Murphy, R.F., Whelton, A., Campion, J., Eucalyptus Foliage Production, End of Project Reports, Teagasc, 1999.
Abstract
The main objective of this project was to determine, for the main species of Eucalyptus
grown in the south west of Ireland (Kerry), the best means of pruning to optimise marketable
juvenile foliage production and quality over the crops life cycle. The majority of the trials
were carried out in Co. Kerry where a higher concentration of production is located. The
favourable climate and light acid soils in this region promote satisfactory growth and enables
harvesting to take place from autumn to March which is the premium period.
Results of extensive trials over a four year trial period showed that new plantations should
not be pruned until the end of the second growing season to allow the trees to become well
established and help build up photosynthetic food reserves and prevent tree losses. However
in some situations where very vigorous growth was achieved during the first growing season
a very light pruning at 1.3 m high helped stabilise trees. After the second year's growth,
pruning back to a height of 1.2 m consistently produced the highest marketable production of
quality juvenile foliage of Eucalyptus species pulverulenta, perriniana, parvifolia, and
'Glaucescens' over the trial period. Pruning back to this level helped develop a single or
multiple main stem framework (2-3 stems) for future production purposes, providing a nice
manageable tree facilitating not only harvesting but other technical operations such as
pruning and spraying.
It was found that more severe pruning, especially back to 15-25 cm from the ground, reduced
output and in some cases quality but was responsible for significant tree losses varying from
8-12% in the second growing year to over 30% losses with four year plantations, with further
losses of 5-10% expected as well because of very weak plants.
The main recommendations of this study are that no pruning be carried out for the first two
growing seasons and thereafter a relatively light pruning of all main framework leaders back
to 1.2 m high after the winter period. As the plantations grew older, stronger side branches
could be shortened and later still could be removed to facilitate management of the crop. The light pruning treatments to 1.2 m high in contrast to the most severe pruning regimes
produced no significant tree losses in the main production areas in Co. Kerry and would
appear to be the most sustainable system of pruning management over the crops life cycle.