PROVENANCE TRIALS OF EUCALYPTUS SALIGNA IN THE PROVINCE OF ANTIOQUIA, COLOMBIA¹

by

Luis Fernando Jara N.
Programa de Plantaciones Forestales
CONIF
A.A. 091676
Bogotá, Colombia

INTRODUCTION

Between 1980 and 1984, the Corporación Nacional de Fomento e Investigación Forestal (CONIF), established 48 species and provenance trials through collaboration with a number of forestry enterprises, among which the “Industrias Forestales Doña Maria”, Mendellin, Antioquia. The objective of the trials was to obtain information on species and provenances suitable for planting in areas marginal for the planting of coffee, for the production of a range of goods and services including soil amelioration and increased income for local communities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three trials were established in Antioquia in 1983, using provenances of Eucalyptus saligna from Australia, Cuba and Columbia (see Table 1). The seedlings were raised in the nursery of El Chuscal, at an altitude of 2330 m.a.s.l., and planted out at three sites at the age of 7 months, following clearing and site preparation. Details on the trial sites are given in Table 2.

The trials were designed as Randomized Complete Blocks, comprising four replications of line plots of 10 trees per plot. Spacing was 2.5 m × 2.5 m. Each trial was surrounded by a one-line row of trees of provenance no.7 (Pinar del Rio, Cuba). Each of the three sites included all treatments, except the site “La Carolina”, where provenances 2 and 3 were absent (due to low germination of the seedlot and subsequent lack of planting material). Results from only the two fully representative sites are reviewed below.

Height and survival were regularly recorded during the first four years. From age five on, also DBH and stem-form were measured, and the phytosanitary condition of the trees was assessed.

Figures on growth and survival of the Australian provenances were correlated with geographical and altitudinal parameters through regression analysis, in order to assess the types of variation that various provenances demonstrate under the new sets of climatic and altitudinal conditions.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Height, diameter and volume (total and increment) at age 6 of the provenances tested at two sites in Antioquia, are given in Table 3. Volume growth is somewhat disappointing, if compared to the values reported by Restrepo and Atehortúa (1989) from the location of Caldas (Antioquia), at 2000 m.a.s.l. In these latter trials, one of the Colombian provenances (land races) showed a volume increment of 230.6 m³/ha at age five; with increasing altitude, the increment decreased steadily. Applying the volume tables elaborated by Velez for Antioquia (Velez 1987), and considering the survival figures in the present trials, the mean yield for the two best performing provenances does not exceed 150 m³/ha.

Results of the regression analysis for two of the three sites, are given in Tables 4 and 5. Results of these analysis were statistically significant only in a few cases.

CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION

1.   The variation at age 6 between Australian, Cuban and local seed sources of Eucalyptus saligna, tested at two sites in Antioquia, Colombia, is small. There is however large variation between individual trees within each seed source.

2.   Although not statistically significant, there are some indications that local seed sources are more vigorous than exotic provenances from Australia and Cuba tested in these trials at two sites at different altitudes.

3.   Indications of total yield are disappointing if compared to a number of figures reported for similar conditions; this may be due to the clay soils on which the present trials were established, which may be less than optimal for the species concerned.

4.   Eucalyptus saligna, represented in the present trials by provenances from Australia, Cuba and Colombia (the last two being “land races” earlier introduced from Australia), showed a volume growth which was almost 50% higher at 1300 m.a.s.l. than at 1800 m.a.s.l.

5.   It is preliminarily recommended to use local seed sources from similar altitudes when planting around, or at altitudes higher than, 1800 m.a.s.l. in the region of Antioquia. For other altitudinal zones in Antioquia (1300 – 1500 m.a.s.l.), Australian provenances from the Northern parts of the natural range, and from altitudes of 800 to 1000 m.a.s.l., are likely to give the best results.

REFERENCES

ANNON, P. 1982. Crecimiento de Eucalyptus en seis ensayos de especies y procedencias en el Cauca: resultados después de tres años. Informe de Investigación Forestal No. 81. Diciembre de 1982. Cartón de Colombia, Cali. 4 p + 10 Tables.

CONIF. 1990. Primer Informe Semestral de Avance. Mayo-Noviembre 1990. Convenio Técnico Federación Nacional de Cafeteros - CONIF No. 159/89. Bogotá, Colombia. 26 p.

ECOSOFT, INC. MICROSTAT. 1984. An Interactive General Purpose Statistics Package Release 4.1. Indianapolis, USA. 88 p.

GUTIERREZ, M. & CANNON, P. 1981. Ensayo de especies y procedencias de Eucalyptus en el Valle del Cauca: resultados al finalizar tres años. Informe de Investigación Forestal No. 67. Febrero de 1981. Cali, Colombia. 4 p + 5 Tables.

LADRACH, W. & MAZUERA, H. 1978. Crecimiento de las especies del Arboretum de Chupillauta a los 7 años y de los Pinos mejicanos en San José a los 6.3 años. Informe de Investigación Forestal No. 34. Septiembre 1978. Cartón de Colombia, Cali. 6 p.

MESA, F.E. & ORTIZ, B.R. 1985. CONIFEST, Software para análisis estadisticos. Bogotá. CONIF. 40 p.

POSADA A., F. 1989. Compilación de tablas de volumen para árboles en pie. Ministerio de Agricultura. INDERENA. Bogotá, Subgerencia de Bosques. División de Administración de Bosques. Bogotá, Colombia. 55 Tables.

RESTREPO, G. & ATEHORTHUA, L.M. 1989. Algunos resultados de los ensayos de especies y procedencias de Eucalyptus en el departamento de Antioquia, Colombia. En: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. Informe No. 17. Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación. FAO, Roma. p. 20–23.

SALAZAR, R. 1986. Producción de Leña de Eucalyptus saligna en San Ramón, Costa Rica. Silvoenergia No. 15. Abril 1986. Proyecto Cultivo de Arboles de Uso Múltiple. CATIE - ROCAP, Turrialba. 4 p.

VELEZ M., J.G. 1987. Ecuaciones y Tablas de Volumen para el Eucalyptus saligna en Antioquia. En: Crónica Forestal y del Medio Ambiente. Medellin, Colombia. Vol. II, No. 1 & 2. p. 1–22.

Table 1. Description of Provenances of E. saligna tested in the Province of Antioquia, Colombia

Table 2. Description of Trial Sites of E. saligna in Antioquia, Colombia

Figure 3. Increment in height, diameter and volume at age 6.

¹: Calculated according to Velez (1987): vt = 0.03358 + 0.030443 * D²H
MAI: Mean annual increment
N.S. Non-significant

Table 4. Coefficients of Correlation between Geographical Parameters of the Introduced and Colombian Provenances, and Growth and Survival at the Sites of Grescol and La Clara, Antioquia, Colombia

*/   significance at level of 0.05%
**/ significance at level of 0.01%

Table 5. Multiple Correlation between Geographical Factors and Growth and Vigour Indicators for two Sites in Antioquia, Colombia.

*      Significance at level of 0.05%
N.S. Not significant at level of 0.05%

¹ Abridged version of original Spanish manuscript, received in June 1991. For complementary information on Eucalyptus research in Antioquia, Colombia, see "Some results from Species and Provenance Trials of Eucalyptus Species in the Department of Antioquia, Colombia, by G. Restrepo U. & L.M. Atehortúa V., FGRI 17 (1989), pp. 20–23.