Establishment of an African mahogany Plantaiton by Green World Plantation Company

Abstract of the presentation of

Sonali Batuwatte

Khaya (Khaya senagalensis) is one of the most popular species in Sri Lanka. Management objective of the Green World Plantation Company is to optimise the land utilisation by growing commercially viable and environmentally sustainable trees. The company will increase its profits by providing better quality timber in required amounts. Vision is to “Become the Market Leaders in Khaya Wood Production in Sri Lanka” and Mission is “Production of high-value and high-quality timber on sustainable basis to relieve the pressure on our natural forests, practice commercial forestry by bringing in investors to invest in our plantations.”

Khaya senagalensis belongs to the Meliaceae family and it is native to Africa. It reputedly has the best surface finishing of all the African mahogany species. Khaya timber is highly valued because of its beautiful figurative grain and its rich reddish mahogany brown colour. It is a medium-sized tree which can grow up to 15–30 m in height and 1 m in diameter. It has a fast growth rates in dry and intermediate zones, tolerance to poor site quality and resistance to heavy weed competition, harsh conditions and diseases and pests (except borer). It is favored for furniture, high-class joinery, trim and boat building, railroad ties, flooring, turnery and decorative veneer.

For management prescriptions land selection, planting, protection, labour and staff and extraction can be mentioned. Under planting, seeds, land preparation, spacing, fertilising, weeding, watering, thinning, pruning, pests and diseases. A land of 50 ha in the Intermediate Zone in Kurunegala is selected by using & checking soil parameters. Land Demarcation is carried out by surveying and establishing boundaries. Land is divided in to 10 perch blocks in order to attract small scale investors. 800-1100 trees/ha will be planted with a spacing of 3m × 3m. Live fire belt will be established using Hana. Proper maintenance practices will be established including fertilizing up to 4 yrs and after the PCT with a mixture of N:P:K 9:13:9. Three commercial thinning are carried out at the ages of 11, 15 and 20 years. Creeper cutting is carried out from the 1st year while pruning carried out from 4^th year before and after the rainy season. Watering is done using drip irrigation up to 6 years, 4 l/day in the dry season. Harvesting will be done using clear felling at the age of 25 yrs. In its natural range, K. senagalensis can be severely attacked by shoot borers (Hypsiphylla robusta). Such attacks may result in misshapen trees with no timber value. Carbofuran can be used to minimize these attacks.