Coppicing potentials and management of <i>Tectona grandis</i> linn. F plantation in investigation 309 experimental plot of rainforest research station, ore, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Coppicing is described as a vital mechanism of regeneration in harvested plantation, but there is dearth of information on the management practice of certain species. The study therefore investigated the growth and sprouting potentials of different stump diameters in relation to number of sprouts retained on the stumps of Tectona grandis Linn with a view to determining the best coppice management. Systematic cluster sampling technique was used for plot location in four (4) randomly selected cardinal points of the site while the fifth plot was located at the center. In each plot, stump diameters of≥ 25 -< 35cm, ≥ 35 < 45cm and ≥ 45 cm were identified and sprouts/coppices were reduced to the desired number; that is one, two, three and more than three. The experimental design was a 3 x 4 factorial replicated 5 times. Number of sprouts/emergent, Coppice diameter and coppice height were assessed once in a month for 6 months. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results revealed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the effects of stump diameter (SD) and number of coppices (NC)on of coppice heights and coppice diameter but significantly different (P<0.05) on number of sprouts. The relationship among numbers of coppices left on the stumps and different diameters on coppice heights (CH), coppice diameter and number of sprouted coppices (NS) showed that the coppice diameter was highest (18.32 cm) in diameter of >45cm with a single coppice. At more than three coppices left on different stump diameters, the stump diameter of >45cm had highest CH of 375.1cm, coppice diameter of 11.02 cm and NS of 18.4. Number of sprouts/coppices retained on the stumps and various diameters of stumps had influence on the growth and sprouting of T. grandis.