Documentation and Productivity Assessment of Mahogany Based Agroforestry System in Northern Districts of Karnataka

Abstract

Documentation and productivity assessment of mahogany plantations of four age newlinegradations (viz. 1, 2, 3 and 4 year old) in three different agroclimatic zones of Karnataka, viz. newlinenorthern dry zone, northern transition zone and hilly zone was carried out during the year newline2022-23. A survey conducted using a semi structured questionnaire in three agroclimatic newlinezones to know the extent, status and documenting mahogany plantations. Similar aged newlineplantations with same agroconditions have chosen from three agroclimatic zone and studied newlinethe productivity and carbon sequestration potential. Observations on growth attributes like newlinetree height, girth at breast height were recorded. Secondly, study focused on performance of newlineintercrops under mahogany based agroforestry system and their economics, an experiment newlinewas conducted in two year old mahogany plantation at farmers field in Mundgod. Five newlinelegume crops, viz. soybean, green gram, black gram, horse gram and cowpea were grown newlineunder mahogany under irrigated conditions and morphological, yield and yield parameters newlinewere recorded. newlineExtensive cultivation of mahogany plantations in northern region of Karnataka were newlinefound. Majority of the mahogany growers belongs to middle age group with semi medium to newlinemedium type land holding. Severe pest infestation of mahogany shoot borer was observed in newlinenorthern transition zone and hilly zone as compared to northern dry zone. Mahogany newlineplantations raised in northern dry zone had significantly higher volume than that in northern newlinetransition zone and hilly zone at all four age gradations. Four year old mahogany plantations newlinein northern dry zone had higher volume at initial (21.16 m3 ha-1) and at 12 MASE (47.10 m3 newlineha-1) as compared to the northern transition zone at initial (16.94 m3 ha-1) at 12 MASE (38.47 newlinem3 ha-1) and hilly zone at initial (17.54 m3 ha-1) at 12 MASE (38.46 m3 ha-1). Similarly, carbon newlinesequestration potential was higher in four year old mahogany plantation of northern dry zone newlineat initial (7.07 t ha-1) and at 12 MASE (15.73 t ha-1) as compared