Productivity of first and second-rotation stands of radiata pine on sandy soils: height and volume growth at five years.  R. 0. Squire, P. W. Farrell, D. W. Flinn and B. C. Aeberli.  June 1985.  17 pp. (unpubl.)

SUMMARY

Results of growth after five years are presented for a comparison of the productivity of successive rotations of Pinus radiata D. Don (radiata pine) planted on infertile sandy soils in the Portland Region, South-western Victoria. The growth experiment includes plots on sites of both high and low quality and has two parts: comparisons of first-rotation (1R) and second-rotation (2R) growth on precisely the some sites, and an examination of growth on matched 1R and 2R sites. The non-burning of litter and logging residue before establishing the 2R crop was the only major difference in establishment practice between the two rotations. In both parts of the experiment there was no evidence for a decline in 2R growth at age five years and, in fact, 2R growth was greater than that of 1R in both height and volume, especially on the low-quality sites.

Thus, on infertile sandy soils, retention of litter and logging residue as a source of nutrients and organic matter for the next crop and a mulch to conserve soil moisture, should at least maintain site productivity in the second rotation.

Also published:

Squire, R.0., Farrell, P.W., Flinn, D.W. and Aeberli, B.C. (1985)  Productivity of first and second-rotation stands of radiata pine on sandy soil.  II. Height and volume growth.  Aust. For. 48 (2): 127-37.