Plantation culture, intensive

Recently, interest has developed in the intensive culture of plantations on a short rotation. However, this concept is now new. The Europeans have been managing plantations in this manner for decades and in the 1960 s. McAlpine and his coworkers further developed the concept in the United States with sycamore Platanus occidentalis L.) (12). Since that time, studies have been initiated with other tree species throughout the United States and Canada. 

A number of advantages are evident in the intensive culture of plantations on a short rotation when contrasted to conventional plantation management (18,12). These are ... 

This was the first species advocated for short rotation intensive culture. Sycamore plantations are established using seedlings or from cuttings. If cuttings are used, a clonal plantation is established which results in a high degree of tree uniformity. Sycamore wood is moderately dense with a specific... 

The yields from intensively cultured plantations are considerably greater than those from natural stands of similar tree species. It must be emphasized, however, that many of the reported plantation yields are from small study plots and indicate what is biologicaly possible. To project such yields over a larger area may be inappropriate. Several studies in Wisconsin, South Carolina and Georgia (26,27,28) are currently underway to determine the feasibility of intensive plantation culture on a large scale. 

Rose and DeBell (29) assessed the economics of intensive plantation culture for wood fiber production. Spacing of trees and length of rotation appeared to be particularly cost sensitive in determining economic feasibility. Wide spacing (4X4 feet and 12X2 feet) and longer coppice rotations (4 year and 10 year, respectively) appeared feasible while two year coppice rotations did not. 

Intensive culture of bananas, as with many other crops, is beset with many problems. Even in isolated plantings, pests of one kind or another reduce the potential crop or even destroy it entirely. In the majority of cases pest control has been confined to large acreages in more intensified banana culture. Many factors have contributed to retarding the use of pest control, such as weather and ground conditions that prevent the use of portable equipment without expensive road systems, small plantations, lack of finances, indifference on the part of grower, and no local demand for quality fruit. 

This paper will analyze the feasibility and implications of increased utilization of our forests as a source of energy. Consideration will also be given to the production of biomass from intensively cultured plantations as well as the quality of the biomass produced by different management techniques. 

The near term and extended outlook of increasing use of wood for energy purposes is favorable. Commercial forests contain an abundance of biomass for fuel and intensively cultured plantations could add additional amounts. The question is how much and at what cost ... 

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