KFRI Research Report No - Kerala Forest Research Institute

3.1. Plantation maintenance3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThree final research reports viz., KFRI 180 (Balasundaran et. al., 2000), KFRI 204(Sharma et. al., 2000) and KFRI 275 (Balasundaran and Florence, 2002) related to thisproject have been submitted earlier. Those studies were done with specific objectivesdifferent from the objectives of the present project. But, the research work on thoseprojects was done using part of the growing stock maintained under the present projectsuch as plus trees identified among the provenances and clones developed from the plustrees. Hence, results in this report are not repetitive of those studies other thanunavoidable overlapping.This report provides the result of the project work carried out during 1998-2003.Weeding the provenance trail plots of eucalypts and acacias was done till third year andin selected plots during subsequent years. After three years, more importance was givento the maintenance and evaluation of new clones, and their mass multiplication. Firelines were made in time and there was no fire incidence except in Vallakkadavu andMuthanga where weeding was not done for a few years since the provenance trial plotsbecame part of the Wildlife Sanctuary.The following are the eucalypt plots maintained at Kottappara.3.1.1. Eucalyptsi. Eucalypts provenance trial plots for lowland species (E.tereticornis, E. camaldulensis, E. urophylla and E. pellita) plantedin 1990, 1992 and 1993 (12 ha) (Tables 2-6).ii. Clonal multiplication area (1 ha)iii. Clonal gene bank (1 ha)iv. Clonal testing area (CTA) (1 ha)Other facilities maintained at Kottappara included field clonal multiplication units(mist chamber) and hardening units.The following are the eucalypt plots maintained at Vallakkadavu and Muthanga,8