ABSTRACT:
The objective was to estimate the wood yield and essential oil content in three clones of eucalyptus that were planted in four contrasting arrangements and intercropped with sorghum. Eucalyptus clones MA2001 (Eucalyptus camaldulensis x E. tereticornis), A144 (Eucalyptus urophylla x E. grandis), and GG100 (Eucalyptus urophylla x E. grandis), were planted in single rows (10x2m), double rows (2x3+15m and 2x3+20m); and, triple rows (2x3x2+10m) in a randomized, complete block design experiment with four replicates. Our results demonstrated that planting spacing did not influence the essential oil yield or diameter at breast height in the clones. However, higher density plantings were shown to result in higher fresh weight of branches and leaves per plant. MA2001 grew taller, produced higher quantity of fresh biomass of branches and leaves per plant and volume of wood per hectare, and yielded more essential oil yield than the other clones. We concluded that MA2001 is the most suitable of the clones tested here for cultivation in water deficit conditions.
Key words:
row spacings; clones; forest; integrated crop-livestock-forestry system (ICLF)