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Tectona grandis plantations in Costa Rica
Fast-growing, high-yield tree plantations are an increasingly significant source of wood in
the tropics. In these areas, the improvement of wood productivity is an important economic
goal. In Costa Rica and other countries in Central America most of the tree plantations,
especially those of advanced age, have not had the expected productivity. The main causes
for this have been bad site selection, use of non-improved genetic planting material, and
lack of appropriate silvicultural management (Torres et al. 1995, De Camino et al. 1998,
Castro and Raigosa 2001).
T. grandis was introduced in Costa Rica and other countries in Central America
between 1927 and 1929. Until the year 2000, approximately 223,000 ha of T. grandis
plantations were established in this region (Pandey and Brown 2000). In the past 10 years,
Costa Rica has steadily increased the annual plantation rate of several species to an
approximate total of 11,000 hectares per year. In 2000, the total area of plantations reached
178,000 hectares, of which 30,300 ha (17.0%) corresponded to Tectona grandis (FAO
2000).
Governmental incentive programs have encouraged the establishment of commercial
tree plantations in Costa Rica, reaching 140,000 ha by the year 2000 (Sage and Quiros
2001). Projects and private companies in Central America urgently need relevant growth
and yield information for those species most widely used in reforestation projects.
Determining the production throughout the rotation is particularly necessary in the case of
advance-aged plantations (over 20 years).
The important property requirements of end-users in fast-grown T. grandis are straight,
least-tapered boles with reduced flutes/buttresses and knots, low proportions of juvenile and
tension wood, high proportions of heartwood, and optimum wood density and strength. The
two mayor factors that influence sawn wood grade and recovery are unsound hollow knots
and deep flutes in the logs (Bhat 1998). However, no scientific-based recommendations are
11
available in the literature and many silvicultural activities, such as pruning and thinning, are
carried out, in most cases, based on visual assessment and common sense. No studies are
available on the maximization of wood quality properties by means of intensive teakplantation
management in Central America.
Linking forest management to timber industry is fundamental. Connections between
silvicultural management and wood quality are limited, providing only size-related
characteristics (girth and height growth, stand volume) as useful information. Particular
grading rules set up by international markets for natural teak obtained in Asia, are currently
limiting the selling options of several forest companies in Central and South America due
to difficulties in meeting such stringent demands, mainly those having to do with minimum
log dimensions and wood defects. Therefore, efficient management practices leading not
only to maximum per-hectare volume production but also to a desirable individual-tree
commercial volume production are strongly needed. Lack of sufficient financial
information to evaluate the profitability of T. grandis plantations is discouraging new
projects willing to invest in reforestation.
Several studies on growth and silvicultural management are available for teak
plantations in the Tropics, however, they have been somewhat scattered and without
practical or conclusive results. Available management prescriptions and growth projections
lack high-quality supporting data, complementary studies on stand competition, volume
projections, merchantable volume estimates, information on the effect of different
management regimens (on growth, yield , and quality), reforestation and management
costs, wood prices and market grading, and financial analyses justifying the investment.
Within the next 10 years, most of the teak plantations in Costa Rica will be thinned for a
second, third, or forth time, or even harvested at rotation ages between 20 and 30 years.
Final yield (total and merchantable volume according to market requirements), total
management costs, wood prices, and management options are urgently needed to inform
owners, investors, and consumers about the real stock of commercial timber available at
present and future, and the possible expected value of their plantations.
The present study focuses on management scenarios developed according to production
objectives, plantation quality classes, and rotation periods, aiming at producing high quality
timber. The study does not cover all the factors influencing a tree plantation system, as they
are numerous and some are very complex, e.g. genetic and climatic resources, fertilization
regimens, land preparation, site conditions and soil quality, wood processing industry,
among others. The general framework of the study is presented in Figure 1. Management
prescriptions should reflect the objectives of production, which should have a level of detail
for estimating not only total yield but also the merchantable volume according to type of
products. The type of products should reflect the market demand (dimensions, quality, and
aspect) and should be reflected in the stand management design.
Pruning and thinning are key silvicultural activities, and together with the rotation
length, are decisive factors for achieving different levels of quality and yield of round wood
products. In this study, round wood is the last stage of the chain of production; further
processing into board feet or furniture is not considered, as the many possible products and
insufficient information make a deeper analysis difficult to achieve. A financial analysis
complements the set of growth scenarios with different possible economic returns
PLEASE GO FOR TISSUE CULTURE TEAK
FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT
BALAKRISHNA MUTHUKURI
MOTHER AGRI BIOTECH INDIA PVT. LTD.
BANGALORE.
+919035003471
Fast-growing, high-yield tree plantations are an increasingly significant source of wood in
the tropics. In these areas, the improvement of wood productivity is an important economic
goal. In Costa Rica and other countries in Central America most of the tree plantations,
especially those of advanced age, have not had the expected productivity. The main causes
for this have been bad site selection, use of non-improved genetic planting material, and
lack of appropriate silvicultural management (Torres et al. 1995, De Camino et al. 1998,
Castro and Raigosa 2001).
T. grandis was introduced in Costa Rica and other countries in Central America
between 1927 and 1929. Until the year 2000, approximately 223,000 ha of T. grandis
plantations were established in this region (Pandey and Brown 2000). In the past 10 years,
Costa Rica has steadily increased the annual plantation rate of several species to an
approximate total of 11,000 hectares per year. In 2000, the total area of plantations reached
178,000 hectares, of which 30,300 ha (17.0%) corresponded to Tectona grandis (FAO
2000).
Governmental incentive programs have encouraged the establishment of commercial
tree plantations in Costa Rica, reaching 140,000 ha by the year 2000 (Sage and Quiros
2001). Projects and private companies in Central America urgently need relevant growth
and yield information for those species most widely used in reforestation projects.
Determining the production throughout the rotation is particularly necessary in the case of
advance-aged plantations (over 20 years).
The important property requirements of end-users in fast-grown T. grandis are straight,
least-tapered boles with reduced flutes/buttresses and knots, low proportions of juvenile and
tension wood, high proportions of heartwood, and optimum wood density and strength. The
two mayor factors that influence sawn wood grade and recovery are unsound hollow knots
and deep flutes in the logs (Bhat 1998). However, no scientific-based recommendations are
11
available in the literature and many silvicultural activities, such as pruning and thinning, are
carried out, in most cases, based on visual assessment and common sense. No studies are
available on the maximization of wood quality properties by means of intensive teakplantation
management in Central America.
Linking forest management to timber industry is fundamental. Connections between
silvicultural management and wood quality are limited, providing only size-related
characteristics (girth and height growth, stand volume) as useful information. Particular
grading rules set up by international markets for natural teak obtained in Asia, are currently
limiting the selling options of several forest companies in Central and South America due
to difficulties in meeting such stringent demands, mainly those having to do with minimum
log dimensions and wood defects. Therefore, efficient management practices leading not
only to maximum per-hectare volume production but also to a desirable individual-tree
commercial volume production are strongly needed. Lack of sufficient financial
information to evaluate the profitability of T. grandis plantations is discouraging new
projects willing to invest in reforestation.
Several studies on growth and silvicultural management are available for teak
plantations in the Tropics, however, they have been somewhat scattered and without
practical or conclusive results. Available management prescriptions and growth projections
lack high-quality supporting data, complementary studies on stand competition, volume
projections, merchantable volume estimates, information on the effect of different
management regimens (on growth, yield , and quality), reforestation and management
costs, wood prices and market grading, and financial analyses justifying the investment.
Within the next 10 years, most of the teak plantations in Costa Rica will be thinned for a
second, third, or forth time, or even harvested at rotation ages between 20 and 30 years.
Final yield (total and merchantable volume according to market requirements), total
management costs, wood prices, and management options are urgently needed to inform
owners, investors, and consumers about the real stock of commercial timber available at
present and future, and the possible expected value of their plantations.
The present study focuses on management scenarios developed according to production
objectives, plantation quality classes, and rotation periods, aiming at producing high quality
timber. The study does not cover all the factors influencing a tree plantation system, as they
are numerous and some are very complex, e.g. genetic and climatic resources, fertilization
regimens, land preparation, site conditions and soil quality, wood processing industry,
among others. The general framework of the study is presented in Figure 1. Management
prescriptions should reflect the objectives of production, which should have a level of detail
for estimating not only total yield but also the merchantable volume according to type of
products. The type of products should reflect the market demand (dimensions, quality, and
aspect) and should be reflected in the stand management design.
Pruning and thinning are key silvicultural activities, and together with the rotation
length, are decisive factors for achieving different levels of quality and yield of round wood
products. In this study, round wood is the last stage of the chain of production; further
processing into board feet or furniture is not considered, as the many possible products and
insufficient information make a deeper analysis difficult to achieve. A financial analysis
complements the set of growth scenarios with different possible economic returns
PLEASE GO FOR TISSUE CULTURE TEAK
FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT
BALAKRISHNA MUTHUKURI
MOTHER AGRI BIOTECH INDIA PVT. LTD.
BANGALORE.
+919035003471
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