Studies on agrisilvicultural fitness and wood characterization of Pterygota alata for diverse end uses

Abstract

newline An experiment was conducted at Forest College and Research Institute during 2020- newline2022 to study the suitability of Pterygota alata (Roxb.) for agrisilvicultural systems and wood newlinecharacterizations for multifarious uses. The field experiment was laid out in Randomized Block newlineDesign (RBD) with five treatments and four replications. Pterygota alata was planted at a newlinespacing of 3×3 m and when trees were 28 months old, four pulse crops were cultivated viz., newlinecowpea, blackgram, greengram and horsegram. newlinePhysiochemical properties of the soil were analysed before and after intercropping. At newlinethe initial, bulk density (1.57 g cm-3) and particle density (2.62 g cm-3) were maximum at 30- newline45 cm depth. Whereas, soil porosity (50.30%), pH (8.03), EC (0.40 d Sm-1), N (205.29 Kg newlineha-1), P (12.77 Kg ha-1), K (219.43 Kg ha-1), soil organic carbon (0.91%) and organic matter newline(1.57%) were highest at 0-15 cm depth. After intercropping, the bulk density was recorded as newline1.46 g cm-3), particle density (2.62 g cm-3), soil porosity (44.21%), pH (7.89), EC (0.41 newlined Sm-1), N (201.61 Kg ha-1), P (10.86 Kg ha-1), K (214.88 Kg ha-1), soil organic carbon (0.92%) newlineand organic matter (1.58%). newlineCompared to the intercrops, pure crops recorded the maximum values for plant height, newlinenumber of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, test weight, newlinedry matter production (1883.1 Kg ha-1), crop yield (952.5 Kg ha-1) and harvest index (32.3%). newlineThe maximum gross income (Rs. 71100 ha-1), net income (Rs. 51100 ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.6) newlinewas registered in greengram whereas, GEY was highest in blackgram (575.6 Kg ha-1). newlineGrowth attributes of Pterygota alata viz., height, DBH and volume were maximum in newlinethe intercropping as 6.1 m, 12.9 cm and 0.041 m3 tree-1 respectively, compared to control (5.7 newlinem, 12.30 cm and 0.036 m3 tree-1 respectively). The highest LER was observed in Pterygota newlinealata + blackgram (2.3) and minimum was noticed in control (1.3). newlinePhysiological parameters of the crops were recorded at 30DAS, 60DAS and 75DAS. newlineLAI (0.3