Potential Role of Exotic Poplar in Increasing Tree Cover as an Alternative for Forest Restoration in India

Kulvir S. BangarwaProfessor

Department of ForestryCCS Haryana Agricultural University

Hisar-125 004, India

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Forest Cover Area in km2 Geographical Area (%)

Very Dense Forest 83,471 2.54

Moderately Dense Forest 320,736 9.76

Open Forest 287,820 8.75

Total Forest Cover 6,92,027 21.05

Tree Cover 90,844 2.76

Total Forest & Tree Cover 7,82,871 23.81

Growing Stock in Forest

Total Growing stock 6,047.15 m m3

Inside of Forest area 4,498.73 m m3

Outside the forest area 1,548.42 m m3

Growing stock 61.72 m3/ha

MAI in Forests <1 m3 per ha

Per capita forest 0.08 ha/person

Demand and Supply of Wood (million m3)

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Particulars 1996 2001 2006 2010 2020

Wood demand 64 73 82 95 153

Output from forests 12 12 12 12 12

Output from plantations 41 47 53 58.5 88.7

Deficit 11 14 17 25.7 52.3

National Forest Policy (1988) directed the wood

based industrial units to meet their future raw

material requirements through developing

partnerships with farmers.

• Supply of planting stock

• Technical extension services

• Buy-back arrangements

Agroforestry provides significant social, economic and environmental benefits, particularly in countries like India with subsistence agriculture, low and degraded forest cover and high deforestation rate.

• Agroforestry can improve the lives of resource-poor rural populations by providing increased income, diversification and sustainability of agriculture and food security.

• It can reduce the pressure on natural forests, and has a potential to bridge the gap in demand and supply of forest products.

Poplar (Populus deltoides): Poplar (introduced in 1950) is

one of the most preferred agroforestry species in fertile

and irrigated lands in northern India. Poplar has gained

considerable importance in agroforestry, mainly due to its

deciduous nature, fast growing habit, adaptability to

different environmental conditions and silvicultural systems

and above all high industrial demand.

Sugar cane with Poplar

Turmeric in poplar

Fruit trees with Poplar

Turmeric and Fruit trees with Poplar

Buy-back arrangement of the Farm Forestry Project, which was implemented by the Western India Match Company Ltd. (WIMCO) from 1984 to 1990 that promoted the poplar based Agroforestry plantations.

Populus deltoides is widely grown on a rotation of 6-8 years.

A well drained & irrigated, deep and fertile soil is suitable for poplar.

One year old bare rooted saplings are used for transplanting in January-February with a spacing of 8 x 3 m2 or 7 x 3.5 m2 or 6 x 4 m2.

Rows are to be planted in north-south direction to provide maximum sunlight to agricultural crops.

G3, G48, L34, S7C15, Uday, Kranti and Bahar are superior clones of poplar. WSL 22, WSL 27, WSL 32, WSL 39, WSL-A26 and WSL-A49 are new clones.

Maximum production potential of poplar plantation : 50 m3/ha/year

Production Potential of poplar

Maximum Production Potential 50 m3/ha

Average Production Potential 30-35 m3/ha

A progressive farmer in Yamunanagar District of Haryana achieved

the maximum production potential of poplar with 65 m3/ha/year.

He harvested the 965 poplar trees from two hectare

land with average girth of about 100 cm in six years.

Deciduous nature of poplar allows agricultural crops to grow with lesser adverse affect.

During first two years, sugarcane is best.

Third year onwards shade-loving crops like turmeric can be grown successfully.

Wheat during the winter and fodder crops during summer season are better.

Poplar replaced Eucalyptus (with crash in prices) in nineties due to the following advantages:

It has faster biomass growth.

It is more compatible with agricultural crops.

Leaves get decomposed & help in maintaining soil nutrients.

It was easily saleable and fetches better prices.

It is easily propagated through cuttings.

But poplar was no more popular during 2001-2005

Farmers were forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices anywhere between Rs.70 and Rs.155 as compared to Rs.350-550 per 100 Kg.

• Farmers were compelled for pre-mature felling of poplar.

• Sale price of 6-8 years old poplar tree with a girth of 1 m was lower down to about Rs.500-600 per tree in 2004.

Marketing of poplar

Poplar wood has four rates ( Rupees per 100 Kg) depending on Girth.

Year Over (>60 cm)

Under (45-60 cm)

Sokta (30-45 cm)

Dandi (<30 cm)

Average 509.26 318.08 242.41 86.02

Lowest 155 85 70 70

Highest 1150 900 680 300

Poplar wood pieces, measuring girth above 60 cm and are

free from knots, usually fetch maximum price followed by

wood pieces with girth between 45 and 60 cm, between

30 and 45 cm and less than 30 cm, respectively (the price

of poplar wood decreases as girth decreases). Poplar

wood is used for peeling by making wood pieces with the

length of 1.0 m, 1.3 m, 2.0 m and 2.6 m.

Market should be handled cautiously for getting

maximum sale price. Presence of knots in

selling stock can drastically reduce the sale

price of wood. Therefore, knot can be kept out

from the sale stock by selecting length

measuring 1.0 m, 1.3 m, 2.0 m and 2.6 m of

wood pieces depending upon position of knot.

Average wood production of a poplar tree with girth of 100 cm is about 750 Kg

Over (above 60 cm)

Under (45-60 cm)

Sokta (30-45 cm)

Dandi (Below 30 cm)

45 per cent 18 per cent 12 per cent 25 per cent

Impact of Market on Poplar plantation trend

The poplar based agroforestry plantations had been increasing at a

very faster rate all over northern India up to year 2000. Prior to crash

in poplar sale price, 10 million trees were planted annually in 0.02

million hectares of lands with an average density of 400-500 trees per

ha. But poplar was no more popular among farmers during 2001-2004

because the prices of their produce touching an all time low.

Year Over (>60 cm)

Under (45-60 cm) Sokta (30-45 cm) Dandi (<30 cm)

2001-3 250 150 110 65

2004 155 85 70 70

2005 280 225 180 75

2006 500 350 220 100

2013 1150 900 680 300

Poplar wood has four rates ( Rupees per 100 Kg) depending on Girth.

Year Over (>60 cm) Under (45-60 cm) Sokta (30-45 cm) Dandi (<30 cm)

86-90 539 330 239 63

91-95 465 270 216 60

96-00 337 210 163 61

00-05 237 147 110 68

06-10 696 426 317 136

11-13 1100 833 643 233

After investing over six or seven years, farmers see their dreams

coming apart.

Farmers were forced to sell their produce at throwaway

prices anywhere between Rs.70 (1.14 US$) and Rs.155

(2.55US$) as compared to Rs.350-550 (5.70-9.0 US$) per

100 Kg. Farmers were compelled for pre-mature felling of

poplar. Sale price of 6-8 years old poplar tree with a girth

of 1 m was lower down to about Rs.500-600 (8.0-9.8 US$)

per tree in 2004.

The low market price of poplar wood discouraged the farmers with the

result the farmers were compelled to deviate from poplar based

agroforestry plantations. Accordingly nursery growers also reduced

the production of poplar saplings in their nursery. Rates and demand

of poplar wood were start increasing by the end of 2004 and farmers

were again attracted towards poplar based agroforestry plantations.

Extent of poplar plantation was start increasing with faster rate.

Till 2000 During 2001-04 2005 2006-2012 2013

0.02 m ha.

Decreasing fast Lowest or nil Rising at fast 0.04 m ha.

Latest figure given in literature suggested that poplar plantations

in the country occupy an area of about 312,000 ha at a notional

density of 500 trees per ha and they are managed at a 6-8 years

rotation. Therefore, annual planting of poplar might be 80 million

poplar trees covering about 0.04 mha.

Income Potential of Exotic Poplar

Six to eight years old poplar trees, with girth measuring

1 m at breast height (1.37 m), fetches about Rs 4000

per tree and net income from poplar plantations can

be expected to be Rs 200000 (3500 US$) per

hectare. In this way poplar plantation is the

economically excellent alternative in increasing tree

cover.

Conclusions

• Forests have very low growing stock (61.72 m3/ha) & MAI (<1m3 per ha).

• Poplar based Agroforestry is the economically excellent alternative for replacement (double return) of wheat-Rice rotation in increasing tree cover.

• Assured market is essential for adoption of new technology.

• Market should be handled cautiously for getting maximum sale price. Market trend decides increase/decrease of adoption.

Wheat with Poplar

Turmeric with Poplar

Turmeric and Fruit trees with Poplar

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