EFFECT OF EUCALYPTUS TREE ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF RICE (BRRI dhan51)

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at Kaharole upazila in Dinajpur district during August 2018 to January 2019 to evaluate the yield variation of rice (BRRI dhan51) influenced by age and distance of eucalyptus tree. The experiment was laid out following double factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Total numbers of the experimental plots were 27 (3 ages x 3 distances x 3 replications). The treatments of the age experiment were Y1= Rice cultivation under 1 year aged eucalyptus tree, Y2 = Rice cultivation under 3 year aged eucalyptus tree, Y3 = Rice cultivation under 5 year aged eucalyptus tree. Again the treatments based on distance were D1 = Rice cultivation from 1m distance of eucalyptus tree base, D2 = Rice cultivation from 3m distance of eucalyptus tree base, D3 = Rice cultivation from 5m distance of eucalyptus tree base. Data were recorded on plant height, number of effective tiller, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, straw yield, litter fall of eucalyptus (dry weight). In case of economic analysis the benefit cost ratio (BCR) was calculated. The data were analyzed statistically with Statistix 10 and means were adjusted by Tukey HSD test. The results of the research revealed from age based treatment, significantly the highest plant height and litter fall of eucalyptus was recorded (106.20 cm and 41.33g) from Y3 treatment while the lowest plant height and litter fall was obtained (97cm and 20.56g) from Y1 treatment. On the other hand the highest number of effective tiller/hill, 1000 grain weight, grain yield and straw yield (17.54, 22.16g, 3.67 tha-1 , 2.77 tha-1 ) was found in Y1 treatment and the lowest number of effective tiller/hill, 1000 grain weight, grain yield and straw yield was obtained (15.85, 19.32g, 2.70 tha-1 , 2.24 tha-1 ) from Y3 treatment. Considering the distances, significantly the highest plant height and litterfall of eucalyptus was recorded (107.81cm and 53.89g) from D1treatment while the lowest plant height and litterfall was obtained (95cm and 14.67g) from D3 treatment. On the other hand the highest number of effective tiller/hill, 1000 grain weight, grain yield and straw yield (17.22, 21.42g, 3.40 tha-1 , 2.73 tha-1 ) was found in D3 treatment and the lowest number of effective tiller/hill, 1000 grain weight, grain yield and straw yield was obtained (15.88, 20.65g, 3.00 tha-1 , 2.21 tha-1 ) from D1 treatment. The result from the interaction effect of age difference and different distances from tree base, the highest plant height and litterfall of eucalyptus was recorded (112.63 cm and 60.33g) in Y3D1 treatment while the lowest plant height and litterfall was obtained (91.83 cm and 6.67g) in Y1D3 treatment. On the other hand the highest number of effective tiller/hill, 1000 grain weight, grain yield and straw yield (18.17, 22.87g, 3.9 tha-1 , 3.12 tha-1 ) was found in Y1D3 treatment and the lowest number of effective tiller/hill,1000 grain weight, grain yield, straw yield was obtained (15.03, 18.87g, 2.5 tha-1 , 2.01 tha-1 ) Y3D1 treatment. It was observed that rice production from Y3D3 combination gave the highest net return (164173 tkha-1 ). At the same time the lowest net return (36961 tkha-1 ) was obtain from Y1D1 combination. Higher net return was the result of higher gross return from the higher yield of rice along with the value of eucalyptus tree. The highest benefit-cost ratio 3.46 was recorded from the combination of Y3D3 and the lowest benefit-cost ratio 1.56 was obtained from Y1D1 combination of eucalyptus tree based Agroforestry system. Therefore, it may be concluded from the present study that the rice production of BRRI dhan51 was gradually increased with the increase of distance from the base of eucalyptus tree and decreased with the increase of tree age. But considering monitory return, maximum return was obtained from rice cultivation with aged eucalyptus tree due to the additional value of eucalyptus timber. Finally, it can be concluded that BRRI dhan51 is suitable for rice + eucalyptus based agroforestry.