Efectul aplicării lucrărilor de întreținere a terenului asupra acumulărilor de biomasă din culturile de plop hibrid [The effect of harrowing and weed control on biomass yields of hybrid poplar crops]

• Main Authors: Avăcăriței D, Savin A, Palaghianu C, Dănilă I.-C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: ”Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava, Faculty of Forestry and “Marin Drăcea” National Research-Development Institute in Forestry - Station Câmpulung Moldovenesc 2016-12-01
• Series: Bucovina Forestieră
• Subjects: poplar energy plantations; short rotation crops; biomass yield; effects of disc harrowing
• Online Access: http://www.bucovina-forestiera.ro/arhiva/2016/16(2)/03_avacaritei_175-185.pdf
• ISSN: 1582-0769; 1582-3725

Intensive hybrid poplar crops can produce an important biomass if adequate measures of management are being used. During the last years, there is a constant involvement on refining poplar cultivation technology, regarding installation, maintenance and harvesting, in order to obtain superior production at lower costs. The present study has analysed the effect of an experimental maintaining treatment (TI) (harrowing and weed control) on poplar crops’ biomass yields. The results were obtained after two vegetation seasons and compared with the results recorded in a control plot where no maintaining practices (TN) were used. The experimental crop was set up in the spring of 2013, in the vicinity of Dornești site (Suceava County). Three hybrid poplar clones were tested (AF2, AF8 and Pannonia) in each plot, and there were installed by long rods, using the 3.0 x 1.5 m spacing. The biomass was assessed for all the harvested individuals and every tree component using the gravimetric method. The experimental maintaining treatment (TI) led to important differences between the two plots. The total biomass in TI plot was nearly eight-times superior to the biomass obtained in the control plot. All the three clones reacted significantly to the experimental treatment TI, even though minor differences were observed between the clones’ productivity. The effect of TI treatment was also substantial to the biomass’ structure on tree components. It is considered that the massive biomass increase was encouraged by a consistent shift of biomass proportion in the favour of the crown proportion (branches biomass), rather than subterranean elements.