|
Agro-Forestry Schemes - Promoting Poplar Plantations
India’s
economy is basically agricultural and its industrial
development depends on how best its sources of wealth in the
form of mountains, rivers and forests are utilized. In this
context, trees have an important part to play. Besides
helping directly by providing food and materials for
shelter, they are a source of a number of products ranging
from paper to pine tar; they enhance the natural beauty of
the area and keep the environment free and pure. In other
words, they are essential for protecting the environment.
With the establishment of a correlation
between the depletion of forests and natural calamities, the
importance of forests in protecting the environment has
dawned on the people of this country and the government. As
a result, the government as well as various agencies
(independent sector organisations), have not only started
educating people, but are also trying to reverse the pattern
of such indiscriminate deforestation.
Enormous Increase
On account of an enormous increase in the
demand for wood there is no option other than to develop
alternate sources for its supply. A regular, continuous
means of providing wood is through farm forestry schemes.
In fact the government of India is actively promoting social
forestry, agro forestry, tree farming and wasteland
afforestation projects. The National Forest Policy
emphasises the need to increase the area under trees to
33.3% of the total geographical area of the country from the
present 19% (some estimates put this figure at 11%). For
this purpose the government has established autonomous
wasteland afforestation projects. The National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) provides the
financial support through nationalised banks by agreeing to
advance bank loans to farmers who raise agro-forestry
plantations. It also sponsors any agency interested in
raising suitable planting stock and provides technical
know-how to the farmers.
In 1986, NABARD sanctioned an agro-forestry
project, involving the planting of 12 lakh poplar plants in
the period 1987-1994, prepared by Green Gold Tree Farmers
Pvt. Ltd. It would thereby maintain the plants for eight
years (the rotation age).
The Phase I of the project for a three year
period was for raising 2.5 lakh plants at a total cost of
Rs. 274.05 lakhs; the infra-structure was expected to be
developed during 1987. The project was to be implemented in
a few districts of U.P., Haryana and Punjab.
Most Suitable
The promoters of Green Gold Tree Farmers Pvt.
Ltd., who have been forest lesses and timber traders for
over half a century, decided the poplar tree was the most
suitable. The technical considerations for deciding on the
species were the following characteristics of the tree:
|
q |
amenable to early wide spacing |
|
q |
possession of self pruning properties,
or an ability to tolerate relatively high incidence of
pruning |
|
q |
width of clone was small relative to
bold diameter |
|
q |
light branching in habit |
|
q |
tolerant to side shade in the early
stages of growth |
|
q |
permitted penetration of light to the
ground |
|
q |
the leaf fall and leaf flushing were
advantageous to the growth of the annual crop in
conjunction with which they are raised |
|
q |
the rate of litter fall and litter
decomposition had positive effect upon the soil |
|
q |
their above ground change overtime in
structure and morphology was such that they reduce
competition for solar energy, nutrients and water
|
|
q |
the root system and root growth
characteristics resulted in the exploration of soil
layers that are different form those being tapped by
the agricultural species and |
|
q |
they were efficient nutrient pumps.
|
The same procedure may be followed with respect to the
agricultural crop components of the system. In short the
plant architecture and morphology, the phenology of the
woody perennials and the root distribution, root growth and
root activity of trees must be examined. The assessment has
to be made of those factors which affect carbon and nitrogen
fixation with respect to such factors as species
differences, differing source situations for annuals and
perennials and leaf and plant ageing. In addition, the
influence of genotype and environment on try matter
distribution and plant development, and the factors
affecting the plants’ nutrient needs and the distribution of
nutrients within the plants should be examined. In short
what is required is a multipurpose tree which will
:
|
q |
maintain and improve the fertility of
the soil |
|
q |
provide wood for a multiplicity of end
uses |
|
q |
be capable of shading herbaceous crops
when they require shading and shedding their leaves in
the herbaceous planting and growing season. |
Attractive Business
Apart from the above, the most important
criteria for raising a tree farm is economics. Tree farming
is an attractive business proposition under the present
conditions. The species to be planted should be fast
growing so that harvesting is possible at short rotation.
This restricts the choice of species. Amongst the fast
growing species, eucalyptus, poplar and pines have been
planted the world over and these are very important trees
for India also. In addition, several indigenous species
need to be tried and tested.
Poplars are popular with the farmers who have
raised them. Most poplars are leafless during winter and
agricultural crops can be raised under them for a
considerably longer period. On suitable sites they grow
faster than eucalyptus. The wood is soft, white and of
uniform density. It is excellent for plywood, packing
cases, matches, pulp and many other wood industries.
Poplars are propagated vegetatively and the required quality
of trees can be maintained for several generations. More
research is, however, still needed for producing a fast
growing clone of the required quality.
As a matter of fact poplars have been raised
all over the world for a long time as farm forestry trees in
association with agriculture or pasture.
q
(Article contributed by Green Gold Tree Farmers Pvt. Ltd.)
Back to Contents |