Eucalypt Improvement at ITC

149
6 Eucalypt Improvement
at ITC
H.D. Kulkarni
1. Introduction
The ITC Limited-Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (PSPD), Bhadrachalam
unit uses 0.6 Mtyr-1 wood from eucalypt along with other woods for manufacturing
the pulp and paperboards. A plan to grow 10,000 ha yr-1 of plantations was drawn
to meet the raw material requirements of the mill on a continuous and sustainable
basis.
In the first phase, the company promoted social and farm forestry plantations
by distributing nearly 30 M seedlings and covered 9,441 ha with eucalypt
plantations from 1982 to 1995. These plantations showed high genetic variations,
poor survival and productivity. At that time the prevailing scene of eucalypt seed
route plantations was grim as the foliar blight disease caused by Cylindrocladium
spp. was quite prevalent in plantations. Apart from that, termites caused large-
scale seedling mortality in plantations of young age. The outcome was that the
survival of trees in plantations at harvest stage was 30 to 50 per cent and
productivity of 4 to 6 t ha-1 yr-1. Due to low yields, the plantations were not
economical to the farmers as an alternative farming option. The other reasons for
poor productivity were hybrid break down, non-availability of quality seeds,
primitive nursery practices, mismatch of species and provenances to site, close
spacing, lack of follow up of correct package of practices (Kulkarni, 2001). Because
of eucalypt controversy (Rajan, 1987), farmers were scared to take up plantations.
Therefore, two decades ago, farm forestry plantations were becoming unpopular
in spite of the incentives, subsidies and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) loans to the farmers. This adverse scenario changed, over
a period of four to five years, from the year 1989 when the company decided to
launch tree improvement programme (TIP) and promoted clonal technology based
plantations (Kulkarni and Lal, 1995).
ITC PSPD, Bhadrachalam unit launched a major plantation programme with
two-fold objectives:
150 H.D. Kulkarni
1. Achieve self-sufficiency in wood based fibre requirements on a continuous

and sustainable basis, and
2. provide agri-farmers a viable alternative land use option by improving
productivity and returns.
The objectives of tree improvement programme set were:

h Increase plantation productivity by at least three times,
h reduce plantation harvest period,
h adopt suitable spacing for better growth,
h develop disease resistant, wind and drought tolerant and site specific clones,
h improve silvicultural and fibre traits,
h improve package of practices for raising plantations,
h develop models and package for social and farm forestry to take tree,
improvement research to the field, and
h make eucalypt farming a farmer friendly viable alternative option.
2. TIP Location
The experimental site and Clonal Research Station is located at 17o 40' N latitude and
81o E longitude. The altitude of the place is 100 m above mean sea level. The climate
is sub-tropical with annual rainfall of 1,033 mm, mostly from southwest monsoon.
The maximum temperature recorded is 49oC and minimum 10oC. The predominant
soils are red sandy and black cotton. Soils are either normal or alkaline. Saline soils
are also found.
3. TIP Strategies and Methods

Eucalypt seeds were imported from CSIRO (Australia) in the years 1986, 1990, 1994
and 1995 to raise provenance trials. Candidate plus trees (CPTs) of E.tereticornis
Smith and E. camaldulensis Dehnh. were mainly selected from government and farm
forestry plantations. Selected plus trees were propagated vegetatively from coppice
cuttings in mist chambers. Root trainer technology was adopted for the production
of plants. The successful ramets were planted in gene banks known as clonal
multiplication areas (CMA) at a spacing of 1 m x 1 m. The clonal testing areas (CTA)
were planted at 3 m x 2 m spacing in RBD with three replications. Ploughing of the
plots was carried out annually. No fertilizers and irrigation was provided to the trial
plots. Periodic measurements were recorded for girth, height and occurrence of
pests and diseases and promising clones were short-listed. Clonal seed orchards
(CSOs) adopting the permutated neighbourhood design (Sekar et al., 1984) were
established in 3 ha area. Clonal demonstration plots (CDPs) were raised under the
extension scheme. Inter- and intra-specific hybridization was carried out between
selected best clones and other species of Eucalyptus. Half and full-sib progeny
Eucalypt improvement at ITC 151
trials were laid out. Promising hybrids were cloned and planted in multi-location
trials. Genotype x site interaction studies for various clones were carried out on
normal and refractory sites. A gene repository was also established for conserving
clonal material. The wood morphology, proximate chemical analysis and strength
properties of wood for pulp and paper and DNA finger printing studies were carried
out.
At the beginning of the programme, the main handicap faced was the non-
availability of a wide genetic base for the improvement of eucalypt. Therefore, ‘breed
the best with the available best’ strategy was followed.
3.1. Gene Resource

The genetic base deployed for improvement of eucalypt is based on the species
E. tereticornis as it is most suited to this zone. However, other species of
Eucalyptus such as E. alba, E. camaldulensis, E. citriodora, E. grandis, E. pallita,
E. torelliana, E. urophylla, etc. were also involved for selection and hybridisation
(Fig.1).
3.2. Candidate Plus Tree Selection

The selection of the most desirable tree with characteristics such as straightness of
stem, annual growth rate, disease resistance, crown structure, wood density, fibre
morphology, cellulose/lignin balance, bark: solid wood ratio, under-bark relation-
ships, etc. were considered. Starting with the cloning of 64 CPTs during 1989, more
than 1,000 CPTs and 500 full sib CPTs have been selected and cloned. Out of 1,500
selections, 107 promising clones were shortlisted and 63 per cent have come from
provenance seeds source obtained from CSIRO (Australia) and 37 per cent from
local land race Mysore gum. The provenances that gave maximum clones are 8 KM
NW Black Mountain and 1 KM N of Laura.
3.3. Vegetative Propagation

For most of the clones, the percentage of rooting of juvenile coppice shoots under
intermittent mist conditions with 70 per cent relative humidity and 35oC temperature,
was more than 70 per cent except for clone 6 which was less than 40 per cent. Root
trainer technology employed for growing the cuttings ensured low handling and
transportation cost in comparison to traditional polybag nurseries. Besides, the plants
were transported without any damage over long distances. Thus, ITC became the first
company in India to introduce root trainer technology on large scale.
3.4. Clonal Testing and Promising Clones

Clones were evaluated from CTAs for comparative genetic superiority and G x E
interactions. Nearly 159 trial plots in 36 ha area have been established since 1989 in
152 H.D. Kulkarni
Base Population
E. tereticornis E. simulate E. camaldulensis E. urophylla - 12

Black Mount - 60 Laura - 44 Katherine River - 19 E. grandis - 2
Kennady River - 5 Kennady - 39 Maxwelton - 8 E. alba - 1
Mt. Molley - 26 Petford - 32 E. pellita - -
Ruthcreek - 31 Kennady River - 32 C. torelbana - 1
Mysoregum - 299
1000 CPTs
CTA
CMA
GXE
SILVI TRIALS
Production
Population 107 Promising Clones
Breeding Hybridization
Population
CSO-7 Intraspecific-217 Interspecific-30
Hybrid Clones
Wood Production
Population New Eucalypt Forests
Fig. 1. Eucalypt improvement at ITC.
various soil types under rainfed conditions. As many as 107 promising clones were
short-listed from the above trials. In the beginning of the programme, clones were
planted without due regard to site. After a gap of three to four years, it was discovered
that some clones were doing well and some were not in a given site. In general, black
soils (normal, alkaline and saline) require specific ITC clones 1, 10 and 130 which
adapt well. But clone 10 does not tolerate saline sandy soils and it led to high
mortality (up to 90%) in a two-year-old plot at Tangutur in Prakasam District of
Andhra Pradesh. However, in the same plot ITC clone 411 and 413 were performing
well with high productivity and survival. Normally, CPTs selected from black soil are
to be tested first on black soil itself and later on other soil types as clones exhibit a
strong affinity to the site of their origin. For example, ITC clone 351 that was selected
from black soil gave a yield of 22 t ha-1 yr-1 on similar site compared to 6 t ha-1 yr-1 on
red soil (Table 1).
Table 1. Performance of two clones on red and black soils

CAI/MAI (under bark tha-1) Red soil Black soil
Clone 3 Clone 351 Clone 3 Clone 351
CAI at age
1 14.2 7.9 4.6 4.0
2 24.7 4.9 9.0 13.3
3 11.7 5.7 25.2 33.2
4 14.8 5.4 37.0 37.4
MAI at 4 years 16.3 6.0 18.9 22.0
Clone 3: Origin from red soil Clone 351: Origin from black soil.
The clonal testing method was later modified as testing was directly taken-up in
the farmers’ field by providing irrigation and fertilization. As a result, the wood
volume production went up by 10 to 40 per cent and harvesting was done at 2 to 3
years period. The site-specific and commercial clones shortlisted are:
The most important commercial clones are:- ITC-3, 6, 7, 10, 27, 71, 72, 99, 105, 115,
122, 128, 130, 223, 265, 266, 271, 272, 273, 274, 175, 277, 284, 285, 286, 288, 290, 292, 316,
319, 405, 411, 412, 413, 417, 439 and 470.
The most adaptable clones for alkaline soils are:- ITC-1, 10, 27, 71, 99, 105, 115, 116,
122, 128, 130, 158, 223, 266, 271, 272, 273, 274, 277, 290, 316, 318, 328, 410, 411, 412, 413
and 417.
The plastic clones are :- ITC-27, 71, 83, 99, 105, 116, 128, 130, 147, 271 and 285.
3.5. Disease Resistance

The outbreak of diseases caused by various fungi on eucalypt in nursery and field
revealed main pathogens as Cylindrocladium spp. and Alternaria spp. causing foliar
blight disease. The resistant clones short-listed are ITC-1, 3, 6, 7, 288 and 316.
Eucalyptus gall (Kulkarni, 2010a) caused by Leptocybe invasa (Fig. 2) created havoc
in nursery and plantations in the year 2008-09. ITC - clones 1, 320, 411, 413, 513, 612,
2145, 2253, 2254 and 2306 were identified as gall resistant. Parasitoid Quadrastichus
mendeli as a biological control agent was introduced from Israel. The gall is now under
154 H.D. Kulkarni
(a) Leptocybe invasa (b) Leaf gall
(c) Resistant clone (413) (d) Susceptible clone (27)

Fig. 2. Eucalypt gall. (a) The insect pest, (b) the symptom, (c) the resistant and
(d) susceptible genotype.
control. Clones such as ITC 10 and 27 are found to be highly susceptible. Little leaf
disease (Kulkarni, 2010b) caused by thrips (Fig. 3) was found on all the clones. The
other insect Batocera rufomaculata (mango beetle) caused wide spread damage to
the growing shoot of three-month to one-year-old plants (Kulkarni, 2010c).
3.6. Productivity of Clones

The survival percentage for majority of clonal plantations is more than 95 (Kulkarni
and Lal, 1995). The productivity of ITC-Bhadrachalam clones thus range from 20 to 58
t ha-1 yr-1. compared to 6 to 10 t ha-1 yr-1 from seedling origin plantations (Fig. 4). Apart
from increase in productivity by four to six times, the rotation period has reduced by
(a) Nymph (b) Thrips
(c) Little leaf (d) M LO

Fig. 3. Vector (a-b), symptom (c) and causal organisim (d) of little leaf disease.
Fig. 4. Annual increment in CTA 21 at the age of six years at Bhadrachalam.

156 H.D. Kulkarni
half (Fig. 5). The root system invariably has a depth of 1.5 to 2.5 m with surface feeder
and anchor roots (Fig. 6). Therefore, farmers are now harvesting plantations at four
years instead of seven years with uniform premium timber.
Fig. 5. Clonal plantations from one to four years.
Fig. 6. Root system from one to four years.

3.7. Volume Table for Clones

The regression equation developed for eucalypt seedling based plantations (Rajan,
1987) did not suit clonal plantations as the rhythm of growth was quite different.
The regression equation and volume table for eucalypt clones was prepared
(Chaturvedi, 1995).
Volume (over bark) V = 0.00352 + 0.0341 G2H
Volume (under bark) V = 0.00258 + 0.0281 G2H
3.8. Yield Assessment

One hundred plantations were felled in different districts to assess wood
production for authenticating the CTA trial results. The farmers obtained the MAI
(t ha-1) of 23 in Khammam, 28 in Prakasam, 21 in Guntur, 24 in Krishna and 39 in
West Godavari was obtained. The average MAI (t ha-1) works out to 27. Further,
the farm forestry plantation average IRR per acre in different districts worked out
to 40 in West Godavari, 48 in Khammam, 32 in Prakasam, 26 in Guntur and 30 in
Krishna (MANAGE, 2003).
3.9. Clonal Multiplication Areas (Gene Bank)

Since 1989, 33 ha gene bank has been raised with 0.22 million ramets in blocks at
1 m x 1 m spacing in the mill premises. The CPT material was first planted in the
gene banks. Gene banks are regularly coppiced at two years age for obtaining
the propagules for multiplication. Each stump has given 180 to 200 ramets with
three harvests and annually nearly 10 M plants are produced for planting.
Recently, mini cutting area (MCA) has been developed and apical shoots are
harvested for propagation which gives continuous supply of shoots throughout
the year.
3.10. Clonal Demonstration Plots

Clonal demonstration plantations (CDPs) raised by the company resulted in large-
scale adoption of genetically superior ITC-Bhadrachalam clones of eucalypts by the
farmers and state forest departments/forest development corporations. Since 1989,
more than 50 ha of CDPs have been established at various places in Andhra Pradesh.
As ‘seeing is believing’, farmers’ meetings were regularly held in these plots which
enabled them to pick and choose the clones most suited for their land.
3.11. Clonal Seed Orchards

Best clones were planted in 3 ha area in (CSO). Fresh CPTs are now being selected
from the CSO based plantations as selections with new recombinations are giving
next generation clones. The major problem encountered in raising CSO was that the
neighbouring fast growing clones suppressed the slow growing clones. Thus,
158 H.D. Kulkarni
planting in a mosaic design did not serve the purpose. Another problem encountered
was non-synchrony in flowering of clones resulting in restricted gene exchange.
3.12. Hybridization
The hybridization programme was initiated in 1994. A breeding orchard was set up
with cleft grafted plants of E. tereticornis, E. camaldulensis, E. alba, E. urophylla
and E. grandis. The selected material was multiplied in large numbers by cleft grafting.
The graft union was successful between E. tereticornis root stock and scion material
derived from E. alba, E. camaldulensis and E. urophylla. Graft incompatibility,
however, was noticed in the case of E. torelliana. At seven years of age, the grafts
in the breeding orchard have attained a maximum GBH of 58 cm and height of 10 m.
The best results of grafting were obtained in the months of August to November.
Almost all the grafts flowered at two to three years age.
Inter-specific hybridization was attempted to combine desirable complementary
attributes of promising clones and eliminate defects keeping in view the customers’
(grower/mill) viewpoint, viz., high yields (volumetric productivity), felling cycle of
three to five years (economic rotation), adaptability to sites, superior wood quality
and uniformity of raw material. The clones with well-defined traits (Table 2) were
included in the breeding programme.
Table 2. Clonal characters for hybridization

Character ITC clone number*
Clear bole 1, 4, 6, 7, 27, 122, 223, 265, 266, 272, 274, 275, 284, 286, 288, 290,
292, 316 and 319.
High productivity 3, 6, 7, 10, 105, 130, 265, 266, 272, 274, 284, 290, 292, 316 and 319.
Adaptable to refractory sites 1, 10, 71, 105, 115, 116, 128, 130, 223, 266, 271, 272, 274, 285, 290,
316, 405, 411 and 413.
Disease resistance 1, 3, 6, 7, 288 and 316.
*Species details not disclosed.
Development of inter-specific hybrids such as E. tereticornis x E. urophylla.;

E. tereticornis x E. grandis; E. tereticornis x E. camaldulensis; E. tereticornis x
E. alba and E. tereticornis x E. torelliana; E. urophylla x E. grandis was attempted.
One of the major problems encountered in breeding E. urophylla is that the flowering
coincides with the rainy season (August) leading to flower drop (before and after
fertilization). Therefore, E. urophylla is considered to be the male donor parent as
the pollen is collected in the month of August and is stored and used for pollination
in the months from October to January. Teretigrandis and Urograndis hybrids have
adapted well to drought conditions and producing maximum volume of wood. These
hybrids are now planted on large scale. Recently, E. tereticornis x E. globulus and
E. grandis x E. globulus hybrids have been successfully grown in the plots. By
controlled pollination between the best 32 clones of E. tereticornis, the derived

full-sib hybrids have shown good heterosis at two years age. The full-sib progeny
trial showed a maximum of 33 per cent improvement over the parents for production
of wood volume. Based on the performance of full-sibs, elite full-sib trees were
selected and cloned. Nearly 358 full-sib hybrid trees have been cloned. These
hybrid clones have been tested on various sites. Heterobeltioisis studies on 18
hybrid clones showed 82 per cent improvement in wood volume production over
the best parent. A few hybrid clones from the crossing of clone ITC-6, 10 and 27
gave hybrid clones ITC-2011, 2014, 2045, 2050, 2052, 2053, 2120, 2121, 2149, 2155
and 2156 which are totally devoid of the defects and surpassed in growth. In
addition, some of the clones showed a narrow crown which is required for closer
planting at a spacing 3 x 1.5 m enabling harvesting of trees at three to four
years age.
4. DNA Fingerprinting of Eucalypt Clones

The advent of DNA fingerprinting has opened new vistas in molecular biology
as this technique has the ability to detect differences between individuals
at the level of DNA. Nearly 90 ITC Eucalyptus clones were subjected to PCR
based randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique and genetic maps
based on DNA markers were prepared. The 90 clonal compositions included 44
parental clones, 39 hybrids and seven clones of different Eucalyptus species
and 12 primers were used for DNA amplification (Paramathma and Kulkarni,
2005).
The amplified products varied in number and intensity among the clones
(Table 3). Among 12 primers, OPR 05 exhibited monomorphism. Altogether 247
amplified products were observed in the profiles of both parents and hybrids
and out of which 224 products (90.70%) were polymorphic (Fig. 7).
Table 3. Polymorphism observed in different primers

Parents Hybrids
Primers No. of No. of Per cent No. of No. of Per cent
bands polymorphic polymorphism bands polymorphic polymorphism
bands bands
OPS 01 14 14 100.00 13 11 84.62
OPAL 03 15 15 100.00 17 16 94.12
OPAB 04 9 9 100.00 8 7 87.50
OPAB 05 9 8 88.90 15 15 100.00
OPAK 10 7 6 85.70 10 7 70.00
OPH 19 9 6 66.70 10 8 80.00
OPR 10 9 8 88.90 8 8 100.00
OPR 11 8 8 100.00 8 8 100.00
OPT 03 8 8 100.00 13 13 100.00
OPR 08 15 15 100.00 17 17 100.00
OPR 09 10 9 90.00 8 8 100.00
OPR 05 3 0 0.00 4 0 0.00
160 H.D. Kulkarni
4.1. Scoring of Amplified Products and Genetic Similarity Matrix

In case of parents, 15 amplified products were observed in the profiles (Fig. 8) while,
in hybrids 17 amplified products with same primers (Fig. 7) were observed. Genetic
similarity matrix for all pair-wise combination of parental clones revealed that the
lowest coefficient value of 0.44 (highest genetic distance 0.56) was observed between
ITC-105 and 1 as well as ITC-45 (636) and 286. The highest similarity co-efficient of
0.83 (lowest genetic distance 0.17) was observed between ITC-10 and 9. Similarly, for
hybrid clones, the matrix revealed that the lowest 0.53 coefficient (highest genetic
distance 0.47) was observed between ITC-2135 and 2156 as well as ITC 2188 and
2183. The highest coefficient value of 0.85 (lowest genetic distance 0.15) was
observed between hybrids ITC-2153 and 2045 as well as ITC-2155 and 2053.
Fig. 7. RAPD profile generated by the primer OPAL 03.
Fig. 8. RAPD profile generated by the primer OPR 08.

4.2. Cluster Analysis

Based on genetic similarity matrix of 12 oligonucleotide arbitrary decamers, phenetic
trees were constructed (Fig. 9 and 10). Two major clusters were delineated (Fig. 9).
Cluster-A had 23 ( ITC 99, 130, 128, 526, 417, 122, 157, 158, 147, 223, 272, 271, 292, 316,
319, 266, 413, 632, 72, 273, 45 (636), 124, and 405) parental clones at coefficient level
of 0.57. Majority of clones in cluster-A belong to the local landrace Mysore gum
showing closer affinity. While, cluster-B had 21 (ITC 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 27, 83, 105, 285,
288, 286, 115, 495, 274, 275, 277, 284, 290, 71 and 548) parental clones. Interestingly,
clones ITC-1, 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10 belong to Australian provenance – 8 KM MW Black
Mountain and the rest belong to Mysore gum.
For hybrids (Fig. 10), at a coefficient level of 0.67 cluster A had only five clones
(ITC-2118, 2132, 2120, 2154 and 2124) while, in cluster B 34 (ITC-2011, 2014, 2151,
2160, 2125, 2052, 2045, 2153, 2156, 2121, 2198, 2202, 2136, 2189, 2188, 2228, 2053, 2155,
2149, 2069, 2147, 2152, 3017, 2019, 2149, 2023, 2144, 2139, 2135, 2204, 2169, 2183, 2207
Fig. 9. Hierarchical clustering pattern of parents based on RAPD markers.

162 H.D. Kulkarni
Fig. 10. Hierarchical clustering pattern of hybrids based on RAPD markers.
and 2040) hybrid clones occurred. The clustering pattern revealed that the hybrids
with common parents were grouped together.
4.3. Application
Based on the RAPD finger printing studies, ITC 105, 1, 45(636) and 3 which expressed
maximum genetic distance were selected for further breeding and improvement. The
clones ITC-9 and 10 with maximum similarity and high wood yield are also considered
for breeding with other clones. The DNA finger printing is also being used to register
the clones as well as to maintain genetic purity in the gene banks.
5. Wood Properties
The wood morphological studies on 98 Eucalyptus clones and four seedlings
control grown at varied sites with differences in age, espacement and cultural
practices and there influences on various wood properties are presented
below:
5.1. Factors Influencing Wood Properties

In order to identify the most suitable clone amongst from the widely represented
four clones for further development of pulpwood plantations, adjusted mean values
of various parameters which varied considerably fitting into the model are represented
in Table 4.
Table 4. Estimated adjusted means of clones with regard to selected wood properties
Clone Tree vol. Basic Moisture Heart Fibre Fibre Lumen 2 x fibre wall Vessels Vessel
no. (m³ tree-1) density content wood length dia. width, thickness (per dia.
(kg m-3) (%) (%) (μm) (μm) μm (μm) mm²) (μm)
3 0.238 575.8 31.8 20.3 0.88** 19** 8** 10** 2.2* 131
4 0.169 613.9** 18.8 34.8 0.81* 16* 7 9* 2.6 136
6 0.138* 573.1* 21.4 32.2 0.86 16* 7* 9 2.5 144
7 0.346** 580.7 30.4 17.8 0.84 18 8 10 2.7** 141
* Significantly lower value, ** significantly higher value
5.1.1. Tree size/volume

The effect of the factors, viz., clone, location, age and spacing were examined. All
the factors had significant effects on tree size. As number of trees per hectare
increased with closer spacing, tree size/volume decreased. However, with the increase
in age, the tree volume has also increased. The adjusted mean value of ITC-6 was
significantly lower than ITC-7, indicating that the ITC clone 7 may yield the highest
volume per tree with faster growth rate.
5.1.2. Basic density and moisture content

The initial espacement alone did not explain significant variation in basic density
of wood. By and large wood density increased with age up to nine years in all the
clones studied. ITC clone 4 displayed densest wood (710 kg m-3) which was
significantly different from clone 6 with lightest wood. As the basic density value
higher than 600 kg m-3) is not desired in eucalypts, for better pulp yield trees,
clones such as ITC - 3, 6 and 7 are better compared to ITC 4. Among 98 clones
studied, ITC 10 (699 kg m-3) and ITC 433 (676 kg m-3) also have high density. Bhat
(1990) reported that aiming at faster growth does not necessarily affect the wood
density. Although the initial moisture content in wood increased with age neither
the espacement nor the particular clone had any effect.
5.1.3. Heartwood and bark percentage

Though not related to espacement, heartwood percentage increased with age (for
clone 3 at three years: 16 per cent; six years: 40 per cent and nine years: 56 per cent),
after initiation at the age of three years in clone 3. No significant difference was
noted among the clones. Bark per cent varied from clone to clone and increased
slightly with age (for clone 7 at three years: 12 per cent and nine years: 15 per cent),
but the fitted model itself was not significant to explain the variation.
164 H.D. Kulkarni
5.1.4. Fibre length, diameter, lumen width and double wall thickness
All the factors had significant effects on the fibre length though the overall differences
among the four clones were not statistically significant. It increases with the increase
in number of trees per hectare with closer spacing and age of the trees. The fibre
length varied from 0.7 to 1 ì m and with age (for ITC-3 at three years: 0.82 and nine
years 1ì m). The fibre diameter varied from 13 to 20 ìm. All the factors had significant
effects on the fibre diameter and it decreased with the increase in number of trees per
ha. As age increases fibre diameter also increases. The adjusted means of clones
ITC-3 vs 4, 3 vs 6 and 4 vs 7 differed significantly. Lumen width varied from 6 to 9.74
ìm. Neither the number of trees per ha nor age had significant effects on fibre lumen
diameter. With widest fibre lumen, clone 3 was significantly different from fibre
lumen width of ITC 6. The fibre double wall thickness varied from 6.66 to 10.98 ì m.
All the factors had significant effects on fibre wall thickness as it decreased with the
increase in number of trees per hectare and increased with tree age. The adjusted
mean of ITC-3 was significantly different from ITC-4.
5.1.5. Tissue percentage

The percentages of vessels, fibres and parenchyma were not influenced by the
clone age and espacement.
5.1.6. Number of vessels per mm² and vessel diameter

The vessel frequency varied from 1.38 to 3.28 per mm². Vessel frequency (number of
vessels) per mm² area decreased with age although espacement had no effect. The
adjusted mean of clone ITC 3 was significantly different from ITC 7. The vessel
diameter varied from 107 to 163 ì m . As number of trees per hectare increased, the
vessel diameter also increased although the adjusted means of clones were not
significantly different.
5.2. Between-Species Differences

Species to species comparison revealed that wood of E. camaldulensis clone was
significantly denser than E. tereticornis and Eucalyptus hybrids. Wood was also denser
with longer fibres in E. tereticornis than in Eucalyptus hybrids. Wood was also denser
with longer fibres in E. torelliana than in E. urophylla at the age of five years. The
longest fibres were found in E. torelliana and E. urophylla while the densest wood
was in E. camaldulensis which is not the most preferred species for pulping.
5.3. Clonal Comparison

The general comparison of the wood properties and tree size among clones revealed
that there could be significant differences in certain properties such as basic
density, heartwood and bark contents, fibre dimensions (length, width, wall
thickness) and vessel frequency (number per mm²). As a single factor, neither the
clone, nor the age and espacement (number of trees per hectare) influenced the
percentages (volume) of vessels, fibres and parenchyma. This implies that the
clones sampled in the study are quite uniform in wood composition in terms of
tissue proportions (Fig. 11).
Clone ITC-3: (a) 1-year-old (x80); (b) 3-year-old and (c) 9-year-old trees (x40)
Clone ITC-7: (d) 1-year-old (x80); (e) 3-year-old and (f) 9-year-old trees (x40)
Fig. 11. Transverse section of clones showing anatomical changes with age.
166 H.D. Kulkarni
5.3.1. Basic density

However, if basic density is considered as selection criterion with an average
value remaining within the threshold value of 600 kg m-3, two clones, viz., clone
ITC-3 and 7 are the most desirable ones for pulping in view of their relatively long
fibres (with a range of 0.77 to 0.97 mm from one to nine years) among the clones
studied. If the rotation age of three years is to be fixed, ITC 3 appears to the most
potential one as it merits most desired features such as growth rate (wood volume),
basic density and fibre length. ITC 10 (699 kg m-3) and ITC 433 (676 kg m-3) appear
to be the densest woods among the clones sampled. The density and structure of
hardwoods in relation to paper surface characteristics and other properties are
similar to the studies conducted by Higgins et al. (1973). Comparison of wood
properties of clones ITC- 3 and 7 in three age groups indicates that clone 3 is
superior in tree size, basic density, fibre length at the age of three years although
difference at the age of four and five years were not of practical value although
overall growth was greater in ITC-7.
5.3.2. Fibre shape factor

Cross-sectional fibre shape (fd2-ld2/fd2+ld2) value was almost the same for all
clones as clone 3 has value of 0.69 as against 0.67 of other three clones (ITC 4, 6
and 7). This implies that cross sectional shape is almost similar among the various
clones.
5.3.3. Runkel ratio

None of the clones had Runkel ratio value <1 as clone ITC-3 and 7 displayed value
of 1.25 as against 1.28 by clones ITC-4 and 6. If this ratio is critical, clonal eucalypts
of young age may not meet the required fibre bonding in pulping.
5.3.4. Age effect

Among the various factors considered, age seems to be most crucial factor
influencing the pulpwood quality of the clones up to nine years. Basic
density, heartwood percentage and fibre morphology (length, diameter and
wall thickness) improved with age from one to nine years in all clones while
tissue proportions and vessel diameter did not vary significantly. Basic density
and fibre length showed linear relationship with age increasing consistently.
However, vessel frequency per mm2 area decreased accompanying a small increase
in vessel diameter with age during the initial years of growth. Generally heart
wood content increased and bark content decreased with age although variation
was very high depending on the site conditions. Trees in Jangareddygudem
sites showed a tendency of higher percentage of heartwood as seen in ITC-3,
115, etc.
5.3.5. Effect of rotation age

In order to ascertain the wood quality difference between three and five year rotations
of most potential clones, wood properties were compared between clones ITC-3 and
7. Expecting a small difference in tree size, no significant difference was noticed in
prime wood properties. This result implies that there is no economic advantage of
extending the rotation age from three to five years in terms of wood quality
improvement in these conditions.
5.3.6. Site effect

The comparison of clone ITC-2011 and 2021 at the age of four years between fertile
and poor sites revealed that wood property differences were not significant
expecting lower moisture content and wider fibre lumen in wood from fertile site
(moisture: fertile = 24.4 per cent and poor = 20 per cent; lumen: fertile = 8.87 and
poor = 6.96 ì m).
5.3.7. Soil type and wood quality

When clones ITC-3, 7, 115, and 413 were compared at the age of four to six years
between the sites with black soil and red soil, the former promoted GBH with higher
moisture and heartwood contents with wider fibre lumen and thinner fibre walls.
This suggests that black soil condition is more favourable for better tree growth and
thinner fibres although higher heartwood and moisture contents are not desired by
the pulping industry. Similar earlier studies by Purkayastha et al. (1979) and Singh
et al. (1986) on five different plantation sties of E. tereticornis in India indicated
influence of locality factor in the variation in wood specific gravity and fibre/vessel
characteristics and their influence on surface properties of hard sheets. Majority of
clones have shown site specificity (areas with black soil and red soils) in respect of
growth, adaptability and productivity. Hence, in the first phase, the site-specific
clones are shortlisted and then clones with best wood properties are promoted for
large scale plantations (Kulkarni, 2004).
5.3.8. Irrigation/fertilization effects

Clones ITC-3 and 7 were sampled from three to four years old plantations to compare
the wood properties from irrigated and rainfed conditions. As a response to irrigation,
clones showed higher vessel percentage with larger vessels, for better conduction
efficiency, and greater moisture content in the wood although the difference was
significant only in ITC-3 for the former and ITC-7 for the latter due to small number
of samples studied. This tendency of higher vessel percentage is in agreement with
the index suggested by Carlquist and Hoekman (1985) with vulnerability ratio (vessel
diameter/vessel frequency per mm2) value being lower towards the drought condition,
as it decreased from 59 to 56 from the irrigated to rainfed plantations in ITC-3. In
168 H.D. Kulkarni
three years old ITC-3 from Jangareddygudem locality, the trend was clear for
increased tree height, GBH, basic density, fibre lumen width, vessel percentage,
vessel diameter and vessel frequency in irrigated condition. Bhandari et al. (1988) in
their studies on kraft pulps of E. tereticornis bought out effect of locality on fibre/
vessel characteristics and strength/surface prosperities of paper.
5.3.9. Coppice vs main crop

Testing of three years old trees of clones ITC-3 and 7 indicated that the differences
where significant only for fibre with thinner walls with higher moisture content in
coppice crops of ITC-3 while ITC-7 had longer fibres and higher percentage of bark.
The study needs to be continued with testing larger number of clonal samples to
support the current indicative figures.
5.3.10. Influence of tree height

Within the tree, tissue proportions did not show consistent variation from the base
to the top. However, basic density, fibre length and heartwood percentage varied
significantly. As shown in clone ITC-3, basic density increased initially from the
base upto 50 per cent of the tree height before it started decreasing to the top while
fibre length increased only upto 25 per cent of tree height level and then decreased
towards the crown. Heartwood percentage decreased consistently from the base to
top.
5.3.11. Superiority of clones over seedling control

The comparison of ITC-3 with seedling crop at the age of three years indicates that
clones have gained superiority in pulpwood quality over the seedlings in Sarapaka
site. Basic density was higher by 13 per cent and fibre length by 17 per cent with
increase in fibre diameter and wall thickness in clones ITC-3 and 7, respectively
while other parameters of fibre morphology were not significantly affected. At age of
six years, the superiority was seen clearly in ITC-3 with longer fibres and less dense
wood having density value of 520 kg m-3 than the seedling crop having density
value of 648 kg m-3.
5.3.12. Wood basic density and fibre dimensions have long been accepted as the
most crucial quality indicators of pulpwood. Low density and longer fibre woods are
mostly preferred for pulping process for eucalypts. The basic density is generally an
indicative of pulp yield of any species for raw material production as it is a measure
of the mass of wood on oven dry basis. Fibre length is known to determine the
tearing strength of paper. If low density aids impregnation due to a more open wood
structure, longer fibres promote higher tear index (Banham, et al., 1995). The studies
suggest that in eucalypts, the optimum basic density is around 480 to 520 kg m-3 and
above the upper limit of 600 kg m-3 (Dean, 1995). The other crucial parameter of fibre
morphology that favours the pulping properties is the ratio of double wall thickness
of fibre/lumen width of fibre and the value of upper limit is 1; the desired Runkel ratio
of 2 x fibre wall thickness/lumen diameter is < 1. The pulpwood demand and quality
assessment studies are reported by Singh and Naithani (1994). Further, a detailed
account of eucalypt for pulp and paper making are also given by Sharma and Bhandari
(1983) and Tewari (1992). Hence, it is concluded that:
a. clones gained considerable superiority over seedling crop with optimal
basic density and longer fibres. Wood quality is significantly influenced
by various factors such as clone, age, site/soil type, spacing, irrigation,
etc. Age seems to be the most crucial factor that determines the pulp wood
quality up to the age of 9 years,
b. among the 98 clones tested clones ITC-3, 4, 6, and 7 merit attentions in
shortlisting the clones as most potential ones for commercial multiplication
because of their relatively modest wood density, longest and widest fibres
with wider lumen and thicker walls. However ITC-4 has denser wood (>600
kg m-3 and shorter fibres making it the least favoured among the four
potential clones identified,
c. clones with denser wood showed the tendency of having shorter fibres
d. two clones, viz., ITC-3 and 7 are the most desirable ones for pulping in view
of their relatively long fibres and desired wood basic density around 576 to
581 kg m-3, and
e. clone ITC-7 yields more wood per tree (greater growth rate).
5.3.13. Based on the wood morphology, site/soil and silvicultural practices out of
98 clones studies, 31 potential clones (ITC-3, 6, 7, 10, 27, 99, 105, 122, 130, 222, 226,
265, 271, 272, 273, 274, 285, 286, 288, 316, 405, 411, 412, 413, 501, 2045, 2069, 2070,
2135, 2253 and 2254) of superior pulp and paper qualities are shortlisted for commercial
cultivation in clonal plantation programme.
6. Improvement for Pulp and Paper Quality
6.1. Pulp Analysis

Proximate chemical analysis and strength properties for 213 E. tereticornis clones
revealed wide variation (Table 5). The ash content ranged from 0.37 to 4.2 per cent
with a mean of 1.3 per cent. Clone ITC-319 showed minimum ash content while, ITC-
2231 gave 4.2 per cent. The alcohol-benzene (A-B) extractive content ranged from
1.24 (for clone 2294) to 8.4 per cent (for clone 266) with a mean of 3.3 per cent.
Presence of more extractive content tends to increase the consumption of chemicals
during pulping and reduce pulp yield.
170 H.D. Kulkarni
Table. 5. Variation in pulp and paper properties for E. tereticornis clones

Parameter Unit Minimum Maximum Mean
Ash % 0.37 4.20 1.3
A-B extractives % 1.24 8.40 3.3
Lignin % 24.70 35.70 29.4
Holo-cellulose % 54.30 70.00 63.7
Pentosans % 9.00 17.20 13.9
Screen pulp yield % 44.00 53.00 47.9
Rejects % 0.23 4.10 1.2
Kappa no. 19.00 29.70 22.0
UBV cps 11.90 22.80 14.8
Brightness % 24.40 39.00 32.8
R.A.A. gpl 3.10 13.30 6.9
Solids % 11.00 19.20 14.4
Organics % 51.50 62.0 56.8
In-organics % 38.00 48.50 43.0
Bulk cc gm-1 1.34 1.97 1.7
Burst factor - 26.00 58.00 34.9
Tear factor - 44.00 78.00 54.3
Breaking length m 3900 8000 5194
Strength index - 20.00 85.00 41.0
6.2. Lignin
In respect of lignin, ITC-2396 showed lowest lignin (24.7%) while, ITC-2324 had highest
lignin content (35.7%). Out of 213 clones analyzed, 71 clones fall under 28 to 30 per
cent class intervals while, 9 clones in 34-36 per cent and 10 clones in 24 to 26 per cent
class intervals (Fig. 12). The unbleached brightness of pulp varied from 24.4 to 39 per
cent and the average brightness was observed at 32.8 per cent. More lignin content
means high chemical consumption in cooking and bleaching of wood. Moreover,
higher lignin has significant impact on refining and paper properties. Lignin is
hydrophobic and contains chromophoric groups, therefore, pulp has poor swelling
characteristics (Singh and Rawat, 2000). Hence, low fibre bonding results in low strength
properties. Kappa number, a measure of residual lignin, varied from 19.1 to 29.7 with
average value of 22 indicating variation in lignin content in the 213 clones analyzed in
the study. More bleaching chemicals are required to bleach higher amount of lignin.
Sharma et.al. (1987) opined that more lignin has to be removed to produce easily
bleachable grade pulp of satisfactory brightness by increasing active alkali charge
and pulp yield and kappa number decrease with increased chemical charge.
6.3. Cellulose and Pentosans

For holocellulose content, the readings varied from 54.3 to 70 per cent with a mean
value of 63.7 per cent. Out of 213 clones, nearly142 clones occurred in 61 to 66 per
71
80
70
49 53
60
No. of clones (n=213)
50
40
21
30
10 9
20
10
0
24‐26 26‐28 28‐30 30‐32 32‐34 34‐36
Lignin (%)
Fig. 12. Variation in lignin content in E. tereticornis clones.
cent class interval followed by 41 clones in 66 to 70 per cent class interval (Fig. 13).
The lowest holocellulose content of 51-56 per cent was shown by ITC-411 and 417
which is not a desirable property. The highest holocellulose content of 70 per cent
was shown by ITC-343. More cellulose content means better property for paper
making. The pentosans percentage varied from 9 to 17.2 with a mean value of 13.9.
6.4. Screened Yield

The important parameter for pulp properties is the screened yield. Eucalypts require
less chemicals (17%) to obtain 46 to 48.8 per cent pulp yield at kappa number 22 to
20. The screened pulp yield for 213 clones ranged from 44 to 53 per cent with a mean
142
160
140
120
100
80 41
60 28
40 2
20
0
51‐56 56‐61 61‐66 66‐70
Holocellulose (%)
Fig. 13. Variation in holocellulose content in E. tereticornis clones.

172 H.D. Kulkarni
value of 47.8 per cent. Highest number of clones (51 clones) gave 49 per cent pulp
yield (Fig. 14). The best performance at 53 per cent was shown by ITC-2129 while the
least performance at 44 per cent of pulp yield was shown by ITC-147, 319, 433, 2069,
2261, 2262, 2264 clones.
60 51
47
45
50
40
30 23
18
20
7 9 7
10 5
1
0
44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53
Screened yield (%)
Fig. 14. Variation in pulp screened yield for E. tereticornis clones.
6.5. Rejects, UBV and RAA

The clone 2008 showed higher per cent of rejects at 4.10 per cent while lowest value
of less than 0.5 per cent was recorded in 11 clones. The average value of 1.2 per cent
was recorded for 99 clones out of 213 clones. Dadswell and Wardrop (1959) linked
rejects with that of density and opined that with increase in density of wood pulp,
rejects also increase as well as tear and tensile indices decline. Unbleached viscosity
(UBV) varied (range 11.9 to 22.8 cps) considerably with a mean value of 14.8 cps.
Similar trend was also observed for other parameters like R.A.A, solids, organics
and inorganics.
6.6. Bulk
The eucalypt clones showed higher bulk of 1.7 cc gm-1 (range 1.34 to 1.97). Stiff
fibres of eucalypts give more bulk due to which more open sheet and good
strength in the wet state is obtained where eucalypt pulp show distinct advantage
compared to other hardwoods. The bulkier sheets with increased porosity give
better drying on higher machine speed reducing the drying costs considerably.
Therefore, higher bulk gives better printability on coated board with good
runnability. Sharma and Bhandari (1983) reported that eucalypt that pulp with
higher bulk formed bulkier sheets than those with less bulk. In the present study
also clones with high bulk values gave bulkier sheets. Bulk and stiffness are
critical to paperboards manufacture and is an important property of eucalypt
clones which is employed for production of paperboards in ITCs mill at

Bhadrachalam. However, during a trial run with only eucalypt wood it was
observed that there is high amount of fluff generation and fines are on higher
side (4.5 to 4.7%) which creates problems at paper machine level. Blending
eucalypt fibre with other pulp wood species appears to be an answer to this
problem.
6.7. Paper Properties

Strength properties in respect of burst and tear factor and breaking length
variation was significant and indicated in the form of strength index which ranged
from 20 to 85 with a mean at 41. The maximum breaking length of 8,000 m was
recorded for ITC-2385 while the average breaking length was at 5,194 m.
There are 40 clones showing strength index above 50 which are preferred
for paperboard making (Fig. 15). A strong and significant trend of low pulp
yield and strength index with high content of lignin, rejects, kappa number
and AB extractives is observed with respect to ITC-7 of E. tereticornis
(Table 6).
41 42
45
34
40
35
30 24
22
25
17 17
20
15
10 4 3 3 2 2 2
5
0
20‐25 25‐30 30‐35 35‐40 40‐45 45‐50 50‐55 55‐60 60‐65 65‐70 70‐75 75‐80 80‐85
Strength index
Fig. 15. Strength index for E. tereticornis clones.
6.8. Eucalyptus spp.

Results of proximate chemical analysis and strength properties (Table 7 and Fig.
16 to 19) indicate that the screened pulp yield was higher (49 to 52.8%) for
clones of E. globulus, E. grandis, E. torelliana, E. urophylla and Urograndis
hybrids while it was on lower side (46%) for E. alba and E. camaldulensis. The
strength index was high (above 50) for E. globulus, E. grandis and Urograndis
hybrid whereas, E. alba, E. camaldulensis, E. torelliana and E. urophylla
showed considerably lower strength index. Breaking length was invariably high
174 H.D. Kulkarni
Table. 6. Low pulp yielding E. tereticornis clones with other properties

Clone no. A-B extractives Lignin Holo- Kappa Rejects Screen pulp Strength
(%) (%) cellulose (%) (no.) (%) yield (%) index
147 3.30 32.2 62.3 23.6 1.40 44 20.0
319 4.10 29.2 65.2 21.3 0.53 44 29.6
433 4.50 27.1 64.5 21.4 1.38 44 39.2
2069 2.86 31.3 61.4 25.0 2.21 44 29.9
2261 2.48 31.2 62.4 23.9 3.82 44 29.5
2262 3.20 28.3 67.0 24.8 0.94 44 42.3
2264 3.80 30.1 62.1 22.3 1.50 44 51.5
35 33
31 31
29 29 29 30
30 28 29
26 26 27 27
25
Lignin (%)
20
15
10
0
E. torellina E. globulus E. urophylla Urograndis E. alba Urograndis Urograndis E. grandis E. teriticornis E. grandis Urograndis E.urophylla E. camaldulensis
455 (Ooty) 347 2254 2253 (BCM) 643 (BCM (Ooty) 283 348 678
(HNL) Clones) (HPL)
Eucalyptus species/hybrid clones
Fig. 16. Comparison among Eucalyptus species/hybrid clones for lignin.
70
68
68
68
66
66
64 64 64
64
Holo-cellulose (%)
64 64
63
62
61 61
60
60
60
58
56
54
E. grandis E. alba E.urophylla E. camaldulensis Urograndis E. teriticornis E. torellina E. grandis E. urophylla Urograndis Urograndis Urograndis E. globulus
(Ooty) 348 678 (BCM) (BCM 455 643 347 283 2253 2254 (Ooty)
Clones) (HNL) (HPL)
Eucalyptus species/hybrid clones
Fig. 17. Comparison among Eucalyptus species/hybrid clones for holocellulose.

Table 7. Pulp and paper and strength properties for clonal Eucalyptus species
Parameter Unit Mean
U 2253 U 2254 U U 283 E.u. 347 E.u. 348 E.t. 455 E.g. 643 E.g E.c. E.gl. E.a.
(BCM) (HPL) (HNL) (OOTY) 678 (Ooty)
Ash % 0.98 1.18 1.59 1.10 0.98 1.96 1.89 1.79 2.87 0.98 0.74 0.40
A-B extractives % 4.10 2.69 3.10 3.20 6.20 4.90 4.00 3.79 3.11 4.60 3.70 2.50
Lignin % 28.50 26.90 28.90 31.00 26.50 31.30 26.10 28.90 29.60 32.90 26.10 27.90
Eucalypt improvement at ITC
Holo-cellulose % 66.40 67.70 62.80 64.40 64.20 60.70 64.00 64.10 59.80 60.80 68.20 60.30
Pentosans % 15.60 16.40 18.70 16.60 13.80 11.90 16.50 15.79 11.60 15.90 16.47 14.10
Screened pulp yield % 49.40 50.18 49.00 47.90 45.00 50.40 51.70 52.80 51.00 45.67 49.00 46.00
Rejects % 0.70 1.59 1.60 0.90 0.70 1.60 0.30 1.16 1.10 0.54 1.00 1.40
Kappa No. 22.80 21.10 22.00 23.00 24.60 24.00 22.00 22.20 21.20 21.90 22.00 21.00
UBV % 19.20 14.20 15.10 17.40 15.70 14.80 17.20 20.66 18.50 13.00 15.00 14.50
Brightness % 34.00 30.00 32.10 35.00 34.00 36.00 34.00 36.50 36.10 26.90 35.00 36.00
R.A.A. gpl 7.60 7.10 6.80 9.20 8.80 7.90 8.60 9.40 9.80 4.00 9.50 8.60
Solids % 13.10 12.50 13.50 14.20 13.00 12.20 13.70 14.10 13.90 17.20 20.00 18.40
Organics % 60.50 55.40 56.00 61.20 61.90 64.50 63.70 54.60 53.50 56.80 55.00 53.00
Inorganics % 39.50 44.60 44.00 38.80 38.10 35.50 36.30 45.40 46.50 43.20 45.00 47.00
Bulk cc gm-1 1.45 1.68 1.80 1.60 1.70 1.70 1.61 1.62 1.50 1.80 1.40 1.60
Burst factor - 44.00 37.00 40.00 41.00 35.00 31.00 38.00 44.10 49.00 29.00 43.00 38.00
Tear factor - 63.00 63.00 55.00 66.00 51.00 55.00 54.00 72.00 65.00 42.00 58.00 48.00
Breaking length m 5980 5690 5680 5542 4900 4800 5250 5621 6420 3900 6970 4940
Strength index - 66.80 56.90 51.80 62.42 35.00 34.00 44.50 72.31 78.20 10.00 70.70 35.40
U = urograndis; E.u.= E. urophylla; E.t. = E. torelliana; E.g. = E. grandis; E.c. = E. camaldulensis; E.gl. = E. globulus and E.a. = E. alba
175
176 H.D. Kulkarni
54
53
52
52 51
50 50
50 49
49 49
Screen yield (%)
48 48
48
46
46
46 45
44
42
40
E. urophylla E. camaldulensis E. alba E. teriticornis Urograndis Urograndis E. globulus Urograndis Urograndis E.urophylla E. grandis E. torellina E. grandis
347 678 (BCM 283 (BCM) (Ooty) 2253 2254 348 (Ooty) 455 643
Clones) (HPL) (HNL)
Eucalyptusspecies/hybrid clones
Fig. 18. Comparison among Eucalyptus species/hybrid clones for pulp screened yield.
90
78
80
71 72
70 67
62
60 57
Strength index
52
50 45
41
40 34 35 35
30
20
10
10
0
E. camaldulensis E. urophylla E. urophylla E. alba E. teriticornis E. torellina Urograndis Urograndis Urograndis Urograndis E. globulus E. grandis E. grandis
678 348 347 (BCM 455 (BCM) 2254 283 2253 (Ooty) 643 (Ooty)
Clones) (HPL) (HNL)
Eucalyptusspecies/hybrid clones
Fig. 19. Comparison among Eucalyptus species/hybrid clones for strength index.
for E. globulus, E. grandis, E. urophylla and Urograndis hybrids indicating that

the fibres are longer and stronger in comparison to E. alba, E. camaldulensis
and E. tereticornis. Apart from the above, wide variation in lignin content is
also recorded between species while other parameters remained the same with
less variation. The above results clearly show that best fibre for paper making
can be derived from species such as E. globulus, E. grandis, E. torelliana,
E. urophylla and Urograndis and other hybrids than pure species E. alba,
E. camaldulensis and E. tereticornis. Seventeen clones of E. grandis from 643
to 659 numbers showed high pulp yield of 50 to 53 per cent but did not perform
well at Bhadrachalam location. These E. grandis clones however, are performing
well at Hindustan Newsprint Limited (HNL), Kottayam, Kerala. E. globulus (blue
gum) is not adaptable to Bhadrachalam site as it requires higher elevation and
temperate climate. The clones of above species gave excellent properties with
respect to pulp and paper properties and similar results are recorded by Tewari
(1992) for eucalypt kraft pulps which give a unique combination of strength,
bulk and opacity. This combination together with excellent sheet formation
caused by extremely small fibres makes Eucalyptus pulp as an ideal raw material
for fine papers.
6.9. Age Factor

The data in Table 8 indicate that the proximate chemical compositions and strength
properties of eucalypts are highly influenced by age. The lignin per cent increased
with age from 23.4 to 27 and 28.4 to 31.3 for ITC-3 and 7, respectively. Similar trend
was also recorded for screened pulp yield 48.4 to 50.4 per cent for ITC-3 and 47.44
to 49.8 per cent for ITC-7. Strength index increased from 30.33 to 46.38 for ITC-3
and 37.8 to 46 for ITC-7 suggesting that the fibre strength is less at young age
while the required strength in fibre is attained at four years. Other parameters did
not vary drastically.
Table 8. Age-wise analysis of ITC-3 and 7 for pulp and paper properties
Parameter Unit Clone ITC-3 Clone ITC-7
1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr
Ash % 1.03 1.00 1.74 1.04 1.31 1.11 1.28 0.92
A-B extractives % 3.48 2.35 2.99 3.71 4.33 2.98 3.20 3.67
Lignin % 23.40 24.60 24.10 27.00 28.40 30.40 31.40 31.30
Holo-cellulose % 65.10 65.50 62.30 61.20 63.00 64.90 63.30 64.20
Pentosans % 14.39 14.57 14.54 15.54 15.28 16.44 15.70 16.90
Screened pulp yield % 48.40 49.30 50.40 51.00 47.44 47.60 48.40 49.80
Rejects % 1.10 1.12 1.46 1.87 0.59 0.69 0.86 1.11
UBV cps 13.70 14.50 14.90 16.00 14.10 14.20 15.50 14.90
Brightness % 35.30 35.20 35.30 35.20 28.40 31.40 33.50 35.90
R.A.A. gpl 7.00 5.30 7.00 5.60 6.30 7.00 7.60 8.10
Solids % 13.70 12.60 13.80 12.40 12.50 13.60 12.60 13.50
Organics % 54.60 55.40 56.20 56.80 54.00 55.60 56.80 57.90
In-organics % 45.40 44.60 43.80 43.20 46.00 44.40 43.20 42.10
Bulk cc gm-1 1.70 1.70 1.70 1.80 1.70 1.70 1.63 1.71
Burst factor - 29.50 30.50 35.00 37.00 30.00 31.00 33.20 35.60
Tear factor - 54.50 54.50 53.00 55.00 53.00 55.00 54.00 57.60
Breaking length m 4633 4661 5378 5438 5480 4986 5203 5280
Strength index - 30.33 31.61 41.78 46.38 37.80 35.86 39.2 46.00
178 H.D. Kulkarni
6.10. Hybrids
The hybridization between best clones ITC-6, 10 and 27 was carried out in order to
obtain hybrids with superior pulp and paper properties. Perusal of Table 9 reveals that
hybrids clones ITC-2120, 2121 and 2156 have shown improvement with regard to screen
yield and strength properties while marginal improvement in other parameters is also
seen. Many hybrids have outperformed in the field as well as with pulp and paper
properties and are being planted on large scale in the catchment area of the company.
Table 9. Comparison between parent and hybrid progeny for improvement of pulp
and paper traits in ITC Bhadrachalam clones of Eucalyptus
Properties Unit Parent Hybrid clone
(at 6 years age) (at 3 years age)
6 10 27 2120 2121 2156
10x6 10x27 10x27
Lignin % 30.40 31.10 28.20 32.80 29.60 26.70
Proximate
properties
chemical
Holo-cellulose % 64.20 63.00 68.50 66.70 67.10 70.10

Pentosans % 11.40 9.50 16.10 11.80 13.90 14.10
Screened pulp yield % 48.90 49.50 46.00 50.20 50.80 50.60
Bulk cc gm -1 1.50 1.50 1.90 1.70 1.50 1.60

properties
Burst factor - 39.20 39.80 31.20 43.00 43.80 40.00

Strength
Tear factor - 66.00 64.00 57.50 78.00 80.00 62.00

Breaking length m 5520 5350 4425 6000 6400 5400
Strength index - 60.40 57.30 33.00 81.00 87.80 56.00
Rao et.al. (1999) rated five Bhadrachalam clones of eucalypt (clone ITC-3, 4, 6,
7 and 10) as high pulp yielding clones with high holocellulose content (66.64 to
71.44 %), lignin of 24.92 to 30.17 per cent and pulp yield of 48.3 to 53.3 per cent.
Supply of fibre is the key issue facing the pulp and paper industry in India. Raw
material and processing costs raise serious concerns over competitiveness of the
industry. While considering the entire production chain from wood procurement to
paper products, with optimum wood density (550 to 600 kg m 3), higher pulp yield
allows reduction in wood requirement and savings on wood cost. The unit cost of
this extra pulp is the variable cost of bleaching and drying. Wood with high pulpwood
yield will have a lower chemical demand. Higher pulp yield with improved pulp
strength has cost advantage. Improved pulp yield reduces fixed costs (e.g. capital
cost per tonne of production). It is estimated that less alkali consumption, less use
of bleaching chemicals, less power consumption, less wood requirement, more
digester productivity and more steam generation from lignin lead to sizable cost
savings. The economics of harvesting, transport and processing are greatly improved
when the pulp yield is high. Pulp yield has a multiplier effect on costs for growing,
harvesting, transport and processing (Dean, 1995). Therefore, breeding programme
should consider cost of pulp production and accordingly plan clonal development
and deployment.
Eucalypt wood has been an important raw material for pulp production. Its
contribution to the world market of pulp is continuously growing (Kulkarni, 2008,
2013). It is a very good wood source for the paper mills as the yield of many species
of eucalypts is high and pulps are very easy to bleach to high brightness. Fibre of
eucalypts is highly valued in the world market as the fibres are small, in diameter, and
have relatively thick wall for their size. This fibre property leads to less flocculation
and good sheet formation (Dean, 1995). The small fibre enhances opacity due to
extra surface area for bonding and adds to visual appearance and better performance
clone during processing and in end product (Tewari, 1992). The wall thickness imparts
s age)
increased porosity and better drying on higher machine speed. Further, the stiff
1 2156
fibres of eucalypt give high bulk, more open sheet and good strength in wet state.
27 10x27
0 26.70
Higher bulk gives better printability on coated board and good runnability.
0 70.10 Wood raw material quality sets the quality of pulp and paper. Within the 225
0 14.10 eucalypt Bhadrachalam clones analyzed for proximate chemical analysis and
0 50.60 strength properties, there are wide differences in pulp and paper making
properties. Pulp yield and strength properties are the important characteristics
0 1.60
0 40.00
which are financially rewarding and advantageous to the paper mills. Top 25 clones
0 62.00 are ranked according to the pulp yield and strength properties index– ITC-3, 6, 7,
0 5400 10, 27, 158, 273, 274, 279, 286, 288, 411, 412, 2014, and hybrids 2050, 2121, 2129,
0 56.00 2135, 2140, 2143, 2156, 2294, 2306, 2315, 2401 and are recommended for large scale
multiplication and planting under farm forestry programme (Venkatesh and Kulkarni,
2002). Amongst them, eight clones have shown highest strength index (ITC-10,
274, 288, 2129, 2140, 2143, 2306 and 2401).
Eucalypt clones with high productivity, best pulp and paper properties not serve
any purpose if they are affected by gall disease caused by Leptocybe invasa insect.
Clones resistant to gall (Kulkarni, 2010a) along with pulp and paper properties are
required to be promoted in the plantation programme. Hence, clones ITC-1, 7, 320, 411,
413, 513, 612, 2008, 2145, 2253, 2254 and 2306 now with moderately high pulp yield and
strength properties are being recommended for planting on large scale.
7. Clonal Nursery Infrastructure

For a successful clonal forestry programme, a good nursery is a pre-requisite. A
modern clonal nursery with an annual production capacity of 20 million Eucalyptus
ramets was established with indigenous technological know-how. Presently, the
infrastructure for clonal propagation includes 120 mist chambers covering an area of
12,000 m2, hardening area of 5,000 m2 and 0.1 M m2 for open nursery. The clonal
technology with root trainers has given considerable improvement in the production
of quality planting stock. The root development is better than seedlings raised in
180 H.D. Kulkarni
polypots as multiple roots seldom form in the root trainers and root coiling is totally
avoided. The outplanting results were quite high, thereby increasing survival and
productivity.
8. Package of Practices
Apart from the superior genetic quality of the planting stock, site quality,
adaptability of the clones to specific sites, implementation of the improved package
of practices and effective protection of plantations from damage by pests, diseases
and cattle are also important factors which determine the overall productivity of
the plantations. Therefore, the company developed an improved package of
practices for rising and maintenance of clonal eucalypt plantations and
demonstrated the benefits of the same to the farmers. Study of soil profiles and
analysis of soil samples was carried out to match adaptable clones to the planting
sites. Deep ploughing of the soil with disk ploughs or mould-board ploughs in
both directions is recommended for preparing the fields for transplanting of clonal
saplings. Spacing of 3 m x 2 m and 3 m x 1.5 m is recommended for the production
of poles and pulpwood, and larger spacing is desirable for production of timber
(Table 10 and Fig. 20). Transplanting in 30 cm3 pits is carried out during the early
parts of the monsoon rains so that plants establish and grow well benefiting from
the good moisture availability throughout the monsoon rains. Soil in and around
the planting pit is treated with 2 ml of chlorpyriphos in one litre of water to prevent
damage to the young clonal saplings by termites during the critical establishment
stage. Application of bio-pesticides like kodesa (Clistanthus collinus) for
controlling termites was introduced as an eco-friendly replacement to chemical
pesticides. Cultural practices recommended include timely weeding and soil
working, protection against damage by insect pests and cattle and raising of
leguminous crops in between the 3 m wide rows for green manuring. In addition,
inter-cultivation (agroforestry) with cotton, chilli, tobacco, pulses, vegetables,
and horticulture plants was encouraged during the first year of planting which
gives additional earnings to the farmers. As most of the soils in India are deficient
in nitrogen and phosphorous, application of fertilizers to supplement availability
Table 10. Result of spacing trials of clone ITC-3 at the age of four years
Spacing (m 2 ) No. of trees GBH (m) Height (m) Volume (m 3 )
1X1 10,000 0.1500 10.30 0.009
1X1.5 6,666 0.1734 11.55 0.012
1X2 5,000 0.1957 12.25 0.016
1X3 3,333 0.2180 13.85 0.021
1.5X2 3,333 0.2069 13.05 0.018
1.5X3 2,222 0.2436 14.45 0.027
2X2 2,500 0.2537 14.57 0.029
2X3 1,666 0.2832 16.15 0.039
3X3 1,111 0.3213 18.00 0.055
0.06
0.055
0.05
0.039
0.04
Vol. (m3)
0.027 0.029
0.03
0.021
0.018
0.02 0.016
0.012
0.009
0.01
0
1X1 1X1.5 1X2 1X3 1.5X2 1.5X3 2X2 2X3 3X3
2
Spacing (m )
Fig. 20.Tree volume observed in spacing trials of clone ITC-3 at the age of four years.
of these deficient plant nutrients is recommended. Soil and water conservation

measures like raised field boundaries and staggered trenches are recommended in
well-drained planting sites for holding the rainwater. However, in low-lying areas
or poorly drained heavy black cotton soils, drainage has to be improved during
the rainy season. It was found that eucalypt plantations with Pisolithus tinctorius
ecto-mycorrhizae showed excellent growth. Hence, this symbiotic association was
used in the clonal propagation wherein the rooting media was inoculated with the
spores and it became part of nursery package of practices.
9. Clonal Plantations
The company distributed more than 145 M clonal saplings to growers from 1992
to 2013. More than 65,114 ha (Fig. 21) of clonal plantations have emerged over a
period of 21 years under farm forestry programme promoted by ITC, which has
created an estimated wood asset worth Rs. 16 billion* (US$ 290 million**).
However, the all India figure of clonal plantations today is more than 0.2 Mha.
These clonal farm forestry plantations are also acting as carbon sinks
removing an estimated 9.5 Mt of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These
plantations have generated estimated 29.25 million person days of employment
opportunities over one felling cycle to the rural masses bringing in socio-
economic prosperity.
* Green wood: per tonne value Rs. 3,000

**1 US$= Rs. 55
182 H.D. Kulkarni
70000 65114
60000
60000
54120
49070
50000 45225
42254
Area in ha
40000 36507
29412
30000
22473
20000 17281
13702
10772
8591
10000 6144
2007 3210 4565
17 56 218 457 1247
0
1995‐96
1992‐93
1993‐94
1994‐95
1996‐97
1997‐98
1998‐99
1999‐00
2000‐01
2001‐02
2002‐03
2003‐04
2004‐05
2005‐06
2006‐07
2007‐08
2008‐09
2009‐10
2010‐11
2011‐12
2013‐14
2012‐13
Year
Fig. 21. ITC clonal eucalypt plantations raised in different years.
Acknowledgement
The author is grateful to Mr. Sanjay Singh, Divisional Chief Executive of ITC PSPD for
encouragement and support of plantation research and development. Thanks are due
to the research, production, marketing and extension team of plantation department
for active support and encouragement. Thanks are also due to Dr. M. Parmathma and
Dr. K.T. Parthiban of TNAU, Mettupalyam and Dr. (Late) K.M. Bhat of KFRI, Peechi
for undertaking wood properties and DNA finger printing studies, respectively.
References
Banham, P.W.; Orme, K. and Russel, S. L. 1995. Pulpwood qualities required for cold
soda pulping process. In: CRC-IUFRO Conference on Eucalyptus
Plantations Improving Fibre Yield and Quality, Hobart, 19-24 February 1995.
Proceedings edited by J.B. Reid; R.N. Cromer; W.N. Tibbits and C.A.
Raymond. Hobart, CRCTHF. pp. 1-4.
Bhat, K.M. 1990. Wood quality improvement of Eucalyptus in India: An assessment
of property – variation. Journal of the Indian Academy of Wood Science,
21(2): 33-40.
Bhandari, S.S.; Singh, S.P.; Singh, S.V.; Krishna Lal and Sharma, P. 1988. Effect of
locality on fibre/vessel characteristics and strength/surface prosperities of
kraft pulps of E. tereticornis. Journal of the Timber Development
Association of India, 34(1): 16-22.
Carlquist, S. and Hoekman, D. A. 1985. Ecological wood anatomy of the woody

southern Californian flora. IAWA Journal, 6(4): 319-348.
Chaturvedi, A.N. 1995. Volume tables and the regression equation for clonal plants.
New Delhi, Tata Energy Research Institute.
Dean, G.H. 1995. Objectives for wood fibre quality uniformity. In: CRC-IUFRO
Conference on Eucalyptus Plantations Improving Fibre Yield and Quality,
Hobart, 19-24 February 1995. Proceedings edited by J.B. Reid; R.N. Cromer;
W.N. Tibbits and C.A. Raymond. Hobart, CRCTHF. pp. 5-9.
Dadswell, H.E. and Wardrop, A.B. 1959. Growing trees with properties desirable for
paper manufacture. APPITA, 12(1): 129-136.
Higgins, H.G.; de Yong, J.; Balodid, V.; Phillips, F.H. and Colley, J. 1973. The density
and structure of hardwoods in relation to paper surface characteristics and
other properties. TAPPI, 56(8): 127-131.
Kulkarni, H.D. and Lal, P. 1995. Performance of Eucalyptus clones at ITC Bhadrachalam
India. In: CRC-IUFRO Conference on Eucalyptus Plantations Improving
Fibre Yield and Quality, Hobart, 19-24 February 1995. Proceedings edited
by J.B. Reid; R.N. Cromer; W.N. Tibbits and C.A. Raymond. Hobart,
CRCTHF. pp. 274-275.
Kulkarni, H.D. 2001. Eucalyptus hybrid breeding in ITC Bhadrachalam, India. In:
IUFRO International Symposium on Developing the Eucalyptus for the
future. Valdivia, 10-15 September 2001. Proceedings.
Kulkarni, H.D. 2004. Clonal forestry for industrial wood production: An ITC
experience. In: Parthiban, K.T.; Paramathma, M. and Neelakantan, K.S. Eds.
Compendium on clonal forestry. Mettupalyam, Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University. pp. 92-113.
Kulkarni, H.D. 2008. Private farmer – Private industry partnerships for industrial wood
production: A case study. International Forestry Review, 10(2): 147-155.
Kulkarni, H.D. 2010a. Screening Eucalyptus clones against Leptocybe invasa Fischer
and La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Karnataka Journal of Agricultural
Science, 23(1): 87-90.
Kulkarni, H.D. 2010b. Little leaf disease on Eucalyptus by thrips. Karnataka Journal
of Agricultural Science, 23(1): 203-206.
Kulkarni, H.D. 2010c. Indigenous insect pests – Batocera and Apriona beetle attack on
Eucalyptus. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Science, 23(1): 207-210.
Kulkarni, H.D. 2013. Pulp and paper industry raw material scenario – ITC plantation
a case study. IPPTA, 25(1): 79-89.
MANAGE (National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management). 2003.
Economics of ITC clonal Eucalyptus. Hyderabad, MANAGE. 10p.
Paramathma, M. and Kulkarni, H.D. 2005. DNA finger printing of clones of Eucalyptus
species using RAPD technique. Final report. Mettupalyam, TNAU.
184 H.D. Kulkarni
Purkayastha, S.K.; Agarwal, S.P.; Farooqui, P.; Tandon, R.D.; Chauhan, Laxmi and
Misra, N. 1979. Evaluation of wood quality of Eucalyptus plantations in
various states. Final technical report. Dehradun, FRI. 85p.
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Rao, R.V.; Kothiyal, V.; Sreevani, P.; Sashikala, S.; Naithani, S. and Singh, S.V. 1999.
Yield and strength properties of pulp of some clones of Eucalyptus
tereticornis Sm. Indian Forester, 125(11): 1145-1150.
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for tree seed orchards. Indian Journal of Forestry, 8(2):153-154.
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Variations in fibre/vessel characteristics and their influence on surface
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IPPTA. IPPTA Convention issue, annual general meeting and seminar on
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for enhanced productivity. Inpaper International, 2-3(1): 14-17.
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1. Achieve self-sufficiency in wood based fibre requirements on a continuous

The objectives of tree improvement programme set were:

3. TIP Strategies and Methods

3.1. Gene Resource

3.2. Candidate Plus Tree Selection

3.3. Vegetative Propagation

3.4. Clonal Testing and Promising Clones

E. tereticornis E. simulate E. camaldulensis E. urophylla - 12

CSO-7 Intraspecific-217 Interspecific-30

Fig. 1. Eucalypt improvement at ITC.

Table 1. Performance of two clones on red and black soils

3.5. Disease Resistance

(a) Leptocybe invasa (b) Leaf gall

(c) Resistant clone (413) (d) Susceptible clone (27)

3.6. Productivity of Clones

(a) Nymph (b) Thrips

(c) Little leaf (d) M LO

Fig. 4. Annual increment in CTA 21 at the age of six years at Bhadrachalam.

Fig. 5. Clonal plantations from one to four years.

Fig. 6. Root system from one to four years.

3.7. Volume Table for Clones

3.8. Yield Assessment

3.9. Clonal Multiplication Areas (Gene Bank)

3.10. Clonal Demonstration Plots

3.11. Clonal Seed Orchards

Table 2. Clonal characters for hybridization

Development of inter-specific hybrids such as E. tereticornis x E. urophylla.;

controlled pollination between the best 32 clones of E. tereticornis, the derived

4. DNA Fingerprinting of Eucalypt Clones

Table 3. Polymorphism observed in different primers

4.1. Scoring of Amplified Products and Genetic Similarity Matrix

Fig. 7. RAPD profile generated by the primer OPAL 03.

Fig. 8. RAPD profile generated by the primer OPR 08.

4.2. Cluster Analysis

Fig. 9. Hierarchical clustering pattern of parents based on RAPD markers.

Fig. 10. Hierarchical clustering pattern of hybrids based on RAPD markers.

5.1. Factors Influencing Wood Properties

5.1.1. Tree size/volume

5.1.2. Basic density and moisture content

5.1.3. Heartwood and bark percentage

5.1.5. Tissue percentage

5.1.6. Number of vessels per mm² and vessel diameter

5.2. Between-Species Differences

5.3. Clonal Comparison

5.3.1. Basic density

5.3.2. Fibre shape factor

5.3.3. Runkel ratio

5.3.4. Age effect

5.3.5. Effect of rotation age

5.3.6. Site effect

5.3.7. Soil type and wood quality

5.3.8. Irrigation/fertilization effects

5.3.9. Coppice vs main crop

5.3.10. Influence of tree height

5.3.11. Superiority of clones over seedling control

6. Improvement for Pulp and Paper Quality

6.1. Pulp Analysis

Table. 5. Variation in pulp and paper properties for E. tereticornis clones

6.3. Cellulose and Pentosans

Fig. 12. Variation in lignin content in E. tereticornis clones.

6.4. Screened Yield

Fig. 13. Variation in holocellulose content in E. tereticornis clones.