Dr. ASHOK B DIVATARADr. GANAPATHINAYANA H.2024-02-112024-02-112020-12-14https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810206802Clonal forestry has a remarkable contribution for paper, packaging, tissue paper, paperboard, plywood, veneer industries, etc., for which wood is being used as a raw material. Industrial agroforestry with the fast-growing species viz., poplar, eucalyptus, willow, leucaena, casuarina, bamboo and Malabar neem can be grown commercially in private lands as suitable species for raw materials in many wood based industries. Among these species, M. dubia (Malabar neem) is an indigenous tree species belongs to family Meliaceae that has emerged as a suitable raw material due to its increased pulp recovery and exceptional strength. The timber is ideal for plywood manufacture at commercial scale Thus in the present study, the early growth performance of M. dubia clones was carried out at the Main Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station, Iruvakki, Sagara (taluka), Shivamogga (district), Karnataka. Ten M. dubia clones were planted in RCBD design with the spacing of 4m x 4m in five replications. The observations on total height and collar diameter were recorded up to 9 months. The significant difference was observed for height and collar diameter of different M. dubia clones. Considerable height was recorded in clone IFGTBC10 and IFGTBC8 (269.70 cm and 233.56 cm) and maximum collar diameter was recorded in clone IFGTBC8 and IFGTBC10 (1.79 cm and 1.71 cm). Substantial volume index was recorded in clone IFGTBC10 (799.70 cm3) at nine months after planting. Clonal repeatability of Malabar neem for height (0.91) and collar diameter (0.93) was high. Existences of significant difference in soil-physicochemical properties were noticed between initial and final readings.EnglishThesis