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Growth Rate and Physical Properties of Erythrina Variegata with Regard to Dry Matter Production

SHAHINA ISLAM
Institute of Fuel Research and Development, BCSIR, Kudrat-e-Khoda Road., Dhaka, Bangladesh.

J. R. BARNETT
Department of Agricultural Botany, University of Reading, Reading, U.K.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Erythrina variegata grown from seeds showed a great deal of variation with respect to height, diameter, density of wood and dry matter production. Statistical analysis showed that the density of wood produced by any plant was not related to its growth rate, but dry matter production was associated with plant growth rate (height and diameter) that could lead to overall increased dry matter or biomass production.

Keywords: Growth rate, Dry matter,Estimate, Erythrina variegata, Variation

Location: Institute of Fuel Research and Development, BCSIR, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Wood

Objectives:

To estimate the ground biomass through all possible regressions using R-square (R2), Mean square error (MSE), Mallows'Cp and to select the characters useful as indicator of dry matter productivity.

Methodology:

Seed germination rates: Erythrina variegata seeds were collected from the Institute of Fuel Research and Development, BCSIR, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Percentage of germination was studied by taking 50 seeds and washing them with running tap water for 30 minutes. They were then placed for 5 minutes in 70% alcohol followed by 30 minutes in 2% sodium hypochlorite solution to which 2 drops of Tween 20 had been added. Then the solution was stirred with magnetic stirrer to dislodge air bubbles on the seeds, which were finally washed four times with autoclaved water in a laminar flow cabinet. Ten glass petridishes (9 cm diameter) containing Whatman no.1 filter paper were sterilized and 5 seeds placed in each with a few drops of sterilized distilled water to moisten the filter paper. The dishes were sealed with parafilm and transferred to an incubator at 28° C in the dark. After 2 weeks, the percentage of germination was calculated. Plantation of E. variegata: Seed germination rate was found to be approximately 50%. To produce 100 seedlings therefore two hundred seeds were transferred into the moist chamber and incubated in the dark at 28° C. After two weeks, germinated seeds were potted in 7 cm diameter pots, containing soil compost mixture (1: 1) and placed in the glasshouse at a temperature of 23±2° C with 12 hours light period. After 2 months 85 surviving plants were transferred to 15 cm pots with the same soil compost mixture. They were sprayed with insecticide (Malathion; 2ml/L) to control the mushroom flies. After five months the plants were transferred to 20 cm pots. 50 seven-month-old plants were harvested following the autumn leaf fal!. Plant height, diameter of the stem ten centimeters above the ground, number of nodes, number of branches, fresh weight, oven dry weight and density of the wood were recorded. Wood density measurement: Wood was taken from the internode below the cotyledonary node of the main stem of 50 harvested plants for wood density measurement. Bark and pith were removed and the wood dried in an oven at 103° C for 48 hours when it had attained a constant weight and the weight was recorded. As wood is a porous substance it was necessary to coat the wood by dipping in a solution of paraffin wax in histoclear (2g of paraffin wax in 150 ml of histoclear) and the new weight was recorded. To measure the density of the block a beaker of water was placed below one pan of a balance scale from which a wire basket of sufficient weight to hold the wood submerged was suspended. The weight of the basket was balanced with weights added to the other scale pan. The wood was placed in the basket and held completely immersed in the water, so that it was not in contact with the sides or bottom of the beaker. Weights were then added to the opposite pan until equilibrium was restored. The weight lost in grams by the specimen on immersion was numerically equal to the volume of the wood in m!. Specific gravity is numerically equal to density and was calculated using the formula: Density = m/v where, m = dry weight in grams, v = volume in m!. Fifty seven-month-old plants were measured and the data obtained were analyzed statistically to determine wood density as a function of their height, diameter below the cotyledonary node, dry weight of the stem, number of nodes and the number of branches by the single linear regression method.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Bot. 31(2): 103-106,2002 (December)

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Statistical analysis showed that the density of wood produced by any plant was not related to its growth rate, but dry matter production was associated with plant growth rate (height and diameter) that could lead to overall increased dry matter or biomass production.

Knowledge Management: Journal