Influence of Rainfall, Irrigation and Age on the Growth Periodicity and Wood Structure in Teak (Tectona Grandis)

• Authors: P.B. Priya and K.M. Bhat
• Source: IAWA Journal, Volume 20, Issue 2, pages 181 – 192 Publication Year : 1999
• DOI: 10.1163/22941932-90000678
• ISSN: 0928-1541 E-ISSN: 2294-1932
• Document Type: Research Article
• Subjects: Biology
• Keywords: Tectona grandis; ring porosity; donnancy; rainfall; cambial reactivation; Vascular cambium; juvenile wood; teak
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Abstract

Growth periodicity was followed for two consecutive annual cycles to reveal the pattern of wood fonnation in plantation-grown teak at three different localities in India. Rainfall and age were the two important factors that influenced cambial activity. Cambial reactivation occurred during March-April in both years. The pre-monsoon showers broke the cambial donnancy at all three localities. Almost a month's interval was observed between bud break and initiation of radial growth . Irrespective of age and locality, a peak period of cambial activity occurred during June-July. Dormancy began during October-December, depending on the age of the trees and locality. Juvenile trees and those grown in relatively high rainfall areas had a prolonged cambial activity and retained foliage throughout the year. They produced wider rings with higher proportions of latewood. Irrigation of 5-year-old trees led to the loss of typical ring porosity of teak wood; their first three growth rings were more or less diffuse-porous. This is attributed to uninterrupted cambial activity resulting in production of rather uniform-sized vessels.

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