0348-B1
Yang Jinchang, Xu Huangcan, Yin Guangtian and Li Rongsheng[1]
Rattans are climbing spiny plants belonging to the Lepidocaryoid Major Group of the Palm Family. They are regarded as the most important commercial non-timber forest product because of their high economic value. However, rattan resources are dwindling rapidly due to the over-exploitation of wild rattan and the loss of tropical forest cover, which threatens the sustainable utilization of rattan resources and the long-term survival of the rattan industry. The development of rattan plantations and the improvement of management techniques are urgently needed to solve this problem. The major issues regarding plantation management are reviewed in this paper, which covers fertilization, growth and yield models and harvesting techniques. Problems and prospects for management techniques in the future are also discussed.
Rattans, climbing palms in the subfamily Calamoideae of the family Palmae, have been utilized for generations in binding, basketry and other domestic purposes, and the most important commercial non-timber forest product ranking next to timber and bamboo wood in southeast Asia due to high economic value. Over the world, there are about 600 different rattan species arranged in 13 genera, and most of them are located in southeast Asia countries (Uhl & Dransfield 1987; Dransfield 1992), among which, about 20 excellent species have been commercially used around the world (Dransfield 1979). It was reported that rattan furniture industry around the world created the trade revenue of more than 1 billion US$ and employed about 1 million workers annually (ESCAP 1991). According to an estimate made by INBAR, the global local usage of rattan is worth US$ 4 billion and external trade in rattan is US$ 2.5 billion (INBAR 2001).
However, the thriving domestic and international trade has led to irrational harvesting and substantial over-exploitation (Terry 2002). This practice, combined with the loss of forest cover through logging and subsequent agricultural activities makes wild rattan resources dwindle fast (Dransfield 1987; INBAR 2001), threatening the sustainable utilization of rattan resources and long-term survival of the rattan industry. To extricate from the difficult position and stabilize the supply of rattan resources, one of the effective measures is to expand rattan plantation and develop the resources and to improve the management of rattan plantation. For this reason, some results about management of rattan plantation are summed up here with the hope of offering some reference for it.
Much attention has been paid to fertilization on rattan plantation together with many reports, which cover the fertilizer type, fertilization proportion, fertilization effect and nutrient requirements et al. It can be summed up as follows:
(1) Nutrient requirements and deficiency symptoms in rattan plants were discussed, which offer scientific reference to right fertilization on rattan plantation. Raja Barizan et al (1992)stressed the importance of macronutrient to rattan growth, detailed the plant symptoms due to the deficiency of N, P, K, Mg and Ca, and analyzed the reason for nutrient deficiency, finally offering specific measures to get over it.
(2) Fertilization of N is necessary for seedlings after planting; in particular, the combination fertilization will result in better growth. It has been reported that best growth was observed for Calamus tumidus that had been applied with 170 g of N-fertilizer at two years after planting (Aminuddin 1987). One fertilizer study of Calamus manan grown under rubber at Sungei Rotan plantation in Taiping was carried out by Aminuddin and Hall, which shown that combined fertilization with N and K leads to good effect on Calamus manna growth while N×P fertilization accelerated the extension growth, gaining much better effect than split fertilization (Aminuddin & Hall 1990). Zhang W. L. et al started a preliminary experiment on the effect of fertilization on the growth of C. tetradactylus and also stated that fertilization of N, P, K obviously improved the growth of stems and sucker shoot formation in the young stage of forest (Zhang et al. 1994). In early 1997, a fertilizer trial was established for C. subinermis by R. Bacilieri et al (1999). The results showed that both the statistical model and the fertilizer effect were significant, and the rattans treated with Agroblen grew faster, followed by those that received NPK and Rock Phosphate. The fertilizers did not have any effect on the mortality.
(3) Fertilization to rattan plantation with poor site quality produces prominent effect but no significant effect on the fertile land. Kueh has proved that fertilizer treatments on Calamus optimus planted in deep peat in Setapik station, Sarawak did not appear to affect plant growth significantly (Kueh unpublishes).Chin (1989)advised that 60-100 grams of a compound fertilizer such as 15:15:6:4 or RRIM Mag ‘C2’ be applied to each plant at half year intervals in poor site quality to accelerate the establishment of rattan plantation.
(4) Fertilization supply should be increased with the age of seedlings to meet the requirement of them to fertilizer. There have been several fertilizer studies in Malaysia on field-grown Calamus species, based on which, it has been recommended that the application of 5 granules per seedling of NPK(15:15:15) compound fertilizer at two weeks after transplanting, and then increasing to 15-20 granules per seedling till seedlings reach on age of 9-10 months, would help to produce healthy and vigorous seedlings(Tan 1988). Similarly, in the PTFI rattan plantation, complete fertilizer, NP(16:20) is applied at 25 g per seedling at one month after planting and the amount subsequently increase to 50 g per plant (Tan 1992). A trial to determine a suitable system of fertilization in order to obtain the maximum growth was set up in a C. manan seed stand (Roberto 1997). The fertilizer used contained the following elements: N=12; P=12; K=17; Mg=2; Trace Elements-Boron, Zinc, Copper and Molybdenum. The fertilizer effect seemed to be influenced by the size of the plant at the time of application. At high dosages small plants were scorched. Fertilization seems useful only at low dosages just after plantation, when the plants are close to the rosette stage. The following quantities are also suggested: quantity of fertilizer is 20-30 g when plant is 0-20 cm high, 30-50 g when 20-40 cm; 50-100 g when 40-60 cm, 100-150 g when 60-80 cm and more than 200g when more than 80 cm.
Generally speaking, the amount of fertilization depends on the rattan species, age, size and soil condition (Raja 1992).
There are only a few reports about growth and yield model for rattan before 1990s, and after that, growth and yield model gain some progress. For the simulation of the growth of C. caesius, Lee (1994) and Lee and Swaine (Unpublished) established growth and yield model with Richards equation. To expand the modeling object, Lee (1994) has developed models for estimating stem length, volume and weight from the number of internodes, and Nur Supardi and Abd. Latif Mohmod (1991) have used a similar method for estimating length. Four methods for estimating stem length, including visual estimates, internode counts and triangulation using a ruler or a clinometer, have been tested (Stockdale & Power 1994). Roberto Bacilieri et al (1997) used the well-known logistic function to model C.subinermis and obtained the three parameters by fitting to the data collected in the yield plots. In China, some efforts have also been made to estimate the growth and yield of rattan plantation. Xu Huangcan et al (1994) developed models to predict stem number per clump, the length of mother stem and total length in a unit area by employing power function based on the 9 years’ observe in Daemonorops Margaritae plantation. Later, Zeng Binshan (1994) established the models of length structure and individual structure of D. margartitae given a unit area by using multiple curve regression. Fan Jingyu (1994) developed linear regression model for C. tetradactylus plantation after analyzing the relationship between total lengths of clump and total numbers of clumps. In general, the research on growth and yield model of rattan plantation is still in initial stage, therefore more systematic and extensive research is required to improve the modeling technique.
Harvesting age is dependent on site quality, species and management practice. In China, some medium-diameter species, such as Daemonorops margaritae and Calamus simplicifolius, can be harvested when they are at maturation age in the wild, namely 6 years, so can small-diameter, and Calamus tetradactylus after 5 years since planting. However, these rattans are growing fast with annual increment of 1.0-1.5 m and continue to keep this vigorous trends for 2 to 3 years or more after reaching technical maturation, therefore, the age of harvesting should be delayed about 3 years from technical maturation age, that is to say, age at harvesting D. margaritae, C. simplicifolius, and C. tetradactylus is 9-10 years, 9-10 years and 7-8 years respectively (Xu et al. 1994; Wang et al. 2002). This is consistent with the reports abroad. Some planter in Indonesia held that small-diameter species could be harvested when they are 6 years old (Dransfield 1977). However, the age of harvesting same species is even a bit different in the same area in Indonesia. For example, the first harvest of C. trachycoleus and C. caesius is usually taken at 7-10 years after planting in Sarawak while the harvest is done at 6-8 years for C. trachycoleuss and at 8-10 years for C. caesius in Sabah (Chin 1989). In Malaysia, plantation of C. caesius can be harvested for first time at 7-8 years after planting, and some species like Calamus javenis is often taken at 10 years (Priaksumana, 1986,1989). For the large diameter cane, harvesting is expected at least in 12-15 years after planting. For instance, Calamus merrillii should be harvest at 15 years or even 18 years (Andrew & Charles 1997;Torreta & Belen 1990), which poses sharp contrast to the opinion of Formoso (1990) who insisted that the time of harvesting this species should be at 9 years to gain maxim profit based on economic analysis. Generally speaking, the time of harvesting is 6-8 years for small-diameter species, 8-10 years for middle-diameter species and 12-15 years or more for large-diameter ones, but the time for harvesting specific species to obtain highest income still remain unconvincing.
Harvesting intensity is usually measured with number intensity (NI) and length intensity (LI), which is associated with species, age, and management situation etc. In china, NI and LI for first harvesting of D. margaritae, C. simplicifolius and C. tetradactylus is 25~35% and 70~80% respectively (Xu et al.1994). In East Kalimantan, only 10%-20% of the stems in a cluster are harvested at a time (Peluso). The Philippines Department of the Environment and Natural Resources states that only stems 25 m or greater in length can be cut, but many people consider the minimum length of 25 m is too high to be valid and it can only be applied to even-aged, monospecific stands (Marry 1994). In Malaysia, there are few descriptions about harvesting intensity, but only mature stem with average length of 24 m is allowed when harvesting (Tan & Wood 1992). Except these reports mentioned above, there is not too many studies on it.
Clustering rattan can be harvested several times, but solitary species only once. The interval is decided by many factor, such species and site condition. In China, small-diameter species like C. tetradactylus and C. dioicus are harvest at the interval of 2-3 years while middle-diameter ones like D. margaritae and C. simplicifolius are done at the interval of 4-5 years (Xu et al 1994; Wang et al. 2002). It has been reported that the shortest interval is 1.5 years (Dransfield 1974) and the longest is 4 years (Menon 1979). However most of people advocate that the harvesting interval should be 2-3 years for clustering species (Dransfield 1974; Alrasjid 1980), which is in accord with the 2 or 3 years interval adopted in major cane-producing countries like Indonesia and Malaysia for harvesting C. trachycoleus and C. caesius (Chin 1989; Priaksumana 1986,1989; Dransfield 1979). In addition, Saharia and Sen (1990) tested the effect of 2,3,4 and 12 year harvesting interval on the growth and yield of C. tenuis over a 12 year period, and found that the 2 year cycle obtained the maximum number as well as length of stems per plot, which support the above opinion.
Studies on rattan cultivation and management did not begin in earnest until the mid 1970s. Since then a wide range of studies have been conducted on various aspects of the growing of rattan (Dransfield 2002); however, compared with other research fields, the attention paid to management of rattan plantation was insufficient, the reason for it can be explained as follows. Firstly, large-scale plantations have only been established in the past decades, and the heyday of rattan research was recently conducted before rattan cultivation trials had matured and could provide recommendations. Secondly, it is really a tough job to carry out the field inventory to test the responses of rattan species to environmental factors and manipulation by people because of the climbing and spiny characteristic.
Cane shortage is definitely felt in the region and the problem of resource supply is more austere than ever before under the circumstance of shrinking of forestry area and overexploitation of wild rattan (Sastry 2002). Hence, rattan plantation development is urgently needed to relieve the pressure on rattan resources in the wild and to guarantee the supply of rattan raw material for rattan-related industry (Le et al 2002). On the other hand, the level of plantation management should be improved to offer better understanding of rattan response to environmental factors and practice by people, to minimize adverse effects on rattans, and maximize growth and yield of rattan plantation.
Concurrently, major problems harassing the plantation management cover the maintenance of optimal light regime within plantations to give maximum growth rates (Marry 1994), the modeling technique to make prediction on the growth and yield of rattan, and harvesting scenario both to reduce the harvesting waste and to obtain highest income given a management cycle, therefore, there is little information on the long-term effects of these forest management practices. To bridge the gap in management, permanent sample plots aimed to study long-term population dynamics or demography and to test different management regimes are in great demand, building adequate database and providing accurate growth modeling for their more sustainable management.
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| [1] Research Institute of Tropical
Forestry, China Academy of Forestry, Long Dong, Guangzhou 510520, Guangdong,
P R China. Tel: +86-20-87032612; Email: [email protected] |