Eucalyptus Plantations

EUCALYPTUS

Eucalyptus an exotic species from Australia, is a versatile tree which adopts itself to a variety of edaphic and climatic conditions. It comes up in different types of soils and climate varying from tropical to warm temperate and annual rainfall ranging from 400 to 4000 mm. It grows well in deep, fertile, well drained loamy soils with adequate moisture.

There are about 550 - 600 species of Eucalyptus. APFDC has raised Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus hybrid.

Importance of Eucalyptus:

Eucalyptus is used in a variety of ways. It is used as pulpwood in the manufacture of Paper as well as raw material in Rayon industry. It is used as Poles for construction of huts, houses and as suporting poles in coal mining industry. It is used as firewood in plywood industry, in making furniture and for making doors and window frames etc., bridges and Railway sleepers. APFDC has raised Eucalyptus Plantations over an area of 49,7580.83 hectares in the districts of Adilabad, Warangal, Karimnagar, Khammam, East & West Godavari, Nellore, Chittoor, R.R. and Medak Districts of A.P. About 1,00,000 Metric Tonnes of Pulpwood is extracted from these plantations and sold to Wood Based Industries every year. These plantations fetch on an average, a gross revenue of Rs.1500 - 1800 lakhs per annum.

The following are the details of Eucalyptus Pulpwood and Faggotwood yields and the revenues realised on their sale during the past five years.

The following are the yield particulars of Eucalyptus Props and Chocks and the revenues realised on their sale during the past five years.

Site Preparation:

For raising a successful plantation, intensive land preparation is very essential. This is being achieved through clearance of rank growth, uprootal of stumps, ploughing across slopes and adoption of S.M.C. measures.

Eucalyptus Clonal Technology:

 In order to achieve much higher productivity APFDC has been raising Eucalyptus clonal plantations from 1994 onwards. The clonal technology of Eucalyptus which involves selecting phenotypically superior Eucalyptus trees of desirable qualities, felling them, collecting the optimum sized vegetative shoots, and growing them under controlled atmosphere of humidity and temperature requires high degree of methodical working, preservance and scientific acumen. APFDC has established 50 Mist Chambers and 700 Poly-tents in different districts for production of clonal plants. The skilled and trained staff of APFDC are now in a position to produce about 13 million Eucalyptus clonal plants. After meeting its own planting requirements, the Corporation is offering these clonal plants for sale. You may write to the Vice Chairman & Managing Director for further details.

It may be mentioned here that APFDC is the only organisation in Government sector which has taken up large scale production of clonal plants successfully and thus has earned the acclaim from the Mission Members of the World Bank which is funding the Project as well as visitors frequenting these areas from all over the country.

The following are the extents of Eucalyptus Clonal Plantations raised by APFDC Ltd., as on 31/03/08

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