Thinning promotes understorey ginger productivity in Acacia mangium Willd. stands of Kerala India

Kunhamu T.K., . and Kumar B.M., . and Viswanath S., . and Sureshkumar P., . (2008) Thinning promotes understorey ginger productivity in Acacia mangium Willd. stands of Kerala India. [Proceedings Paper]

A field study was conducted in Kerala India to evaluate the effects of stand thinning on the productivity of ginger Zingiber officinale Roscoe var. 'Varada' intercropped in an 8-year-old Acacia mangium Willd plantation. Associated changes in subcanopy light availability and root competition between the tree and the field crop component were also monitored. Photosynthetically active radiation PAR transmitted to the A. mangium understorey ranged between 7 unthinned and 61 heavily thinned. Treeless plots gave the highest ginger rhizome yield of 2473 kg ha-1. The removal of 2/3 of A. mangium growing stock gave the next best yield of 786 kg ha-1 and the unthinned stands gave the lowest yield 438 kg ha-1. Rhizome yield increased log-linearly with incident PAR. 32P uptake by treated ginger plants also increased with increasing intensity of thinning while the unthinned stand showed the lowest uptake. Absorption of 32P applied to the ginger plants by the adjacent A. mangium suggests that the effective root zones of A. mangium and ginger overlap implying competitive interactions which was however moderated by stand thinning. Financial analysis showed that benefit-cost ratio increased substantially for the A. mangiumginger combination BCR: 3.36-4.26 compared with sole ginger BCR: 2.15 over a ten-year basis.

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Abstract

A field study was conducted in Kerala India to evaluate the effects of stand thinning on the productivity of ginger Zingiber officinale Roscoe var. 'Varada' intercropped in an 8-year-old Acacia mangium Willd plantation. Associated changes in subcanopy light availability and root competition between the tree and the field crop component were also monitored. Photosynthetically active radiation PAR transmitted to the A. mangium understorey ranged between 7 unthinned and 61 heavily thinned. Treeless plots gave the highest ginger rhizome yield of 2473 kg ha-1. The removal of 2/3 of A. mangium growing stock gave the next best yield of 786 kg ha-1 and the unthinned stands gave the lowest yield 438 kg ha-1. Rhizome yield increased log-linearly with incident PAR. 32P uptake by treated ginger plants also increased with increasing intensity of thinning while the unthinned stand showed the lowest uptake. Absorption of 32P applied to the ginger plants by the adjacent A. mangium suggests that the effective root zones of A. mangium and ginger overlap implying competitive interactions which was however moderated by stand thinning. Financial analysis showed that benefit-cost ratio increased substantially for the A. mangiumginger combination BCR: 3.36-4.26 compared with sole ginger BCR: 2.15 over a ten-year basis.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	3 tables
AGROVOC Term:	ACACIA MANGIUM
AGROVOC Term:	THINNING
AGROVOC Term:	INTERCROPPING
AGROVOC Term:	GINGER
AGROVOC Term:	PRODUCTIVITY
AGROVOC Term:	INDIA
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:26
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/15572

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