Establishment of a forest plantation company using Michelia champaca (Gini Sapu)

 Abstract of the presentation of 

A. Jayaweera

Michelia champaca (Gini Sapu) is a large evergreen tree with a long, clean cylindrical bole (with 60-70 feet/14m-20m height; 1.8 m trunk diameter). Required rainfall varies from 2250 – 5000 mm and it performs well in an altitude of 500 -1500 m above mean sea level. It is well suited for sandy loam soil and also it grows well on moist deep, well drained, good quality soil. It is a light demander and coppices well up to a fair size and it does not produce root suckers.  

Michelia champaca is not native to Sri Lanka. Especially people used to plant this species around Hindu temples due to the sweet smell of its flowers. Now it’s being extensively planted in the wet zone and the hill country. Now it’s getting wild in our forest areas in wet and intermediate zones and can be found in home gardens also. No pure plantations have been established   for M. champaca in Sri Lank at present.

Champwood Lanka (Pvt.) Limited is a hypothetical company established with a vision to provide a helping hand in saving our rain forests. And its mission is to meet future demand for timber in Sri Lanka by using sustainable forest management. The selected area to establish the plantation is Kegalle with a land of 50 ha.

Management prescriptions and Business model consists with several steps as site preparation and establishment of a nursery, planting in the field and weed controlling, prunning and thinning and harvesting. There are various options for value addition such as proper management activities (fertilizer regimes, harvesting schedules), Carbon crediting, forest certifications, good quality seed collection and measures for soil erosion control. Intercropping is done for maximum land utilization.

End product manufacturing consist of logs, sawn timber, essential oil from flowers and seeds, some parts for ayurvedic treatments, fuel wood (through thinning and pruning) and plants and seedlings for reclamation and ornamental purposes. Dealing with customers in a responsible and faithful manner is the basis of been successful in the sector. However, there are considerable strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which can be presented through a SWOT analysis.

Establishment of Plantation Company of Toona ciliata T Wood Plantation (Pvt). Ltd

Abstract of the presentation of

E.T.D. Jayasinghe

T Wood Plantation (Pvt). Ltd is a Commercial Forest Plantation Company in Sri Lanka established in 2010. The Company is Willing to contribute to overcome high timber demand of the Country by supplying timber of Toona ciliata In addition to our core business to enhance productivity and maximizing profitability we willing to diversify existing lands with cash crops, Cocoa and Anthurium. The aims of the company are sustainable management, the fixation of CO₂ on the existing plantations, and the trade forestry products  of  Forest  Plantation to obtain maximum profit.

Toona ciliata is Medium height tree which is grown about 20 m height. Rotation age of Log size timber is 30-40 years. For commercial purposes it will be 30 years. Growth of the tree would be about 40 to 55 m³  on a 15 to 20 years rotation. Growth Rate is 7-18 m³/ha/year. This species is Successfully grown in Wet & intermediate zone between 600m to 1500m from MSL. Plant required shade for initial growth. Plants can be susceptible to Tip Moth (Hypsipyla robusta)  attack  in initial stages.

When consider about Timber, it has popular demand as a veneer and producing decorative purposes. It is graded under Class II timber grading in State Timber Corporation timber grading system. The wood is pinkish- brown in colour. Timber also has characteristic fragrant, nice grain patterns and it is easy to work with.

Our Toona plantation is located in Haputale, within the climatic zone of up country wet zone. Total Extent of the plantation is 50 ha. When consider about management prescriptions of the plantation, plant seeds do not need pretreatment. Seeds should be sowing in nursery and allowed to grow upto 0.6-1.2 m height prior to planting in field. Grevillea robusta is planting 2 years prior to planting Toona as a shade tree and will be removed after 8 years of planting. Then Cocoa and Anthurium is going to intercrop with Toona for maximum land utilization. The end product will be timber logs which will be sold out to local buyers and saw mills.

Forest management group – a long weighted requirement in Sri Lanka Forestry Sector has been fulfilled

Although the records are available about Sri Lanka forest management since 161 BC (that was the year which the Great King Dutugemunu came into the thrown) and even before the current forestry sector has been suffered in lack of research. Due to this reason, Dr. Upul Subasinghe, a Senior Lecturer of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, thought of forming a “Forest Management Group” in Sri Lanka to cover the need of “multi-disciplinary research in Sri Lanka forestry sector”. Since it has become a trend in the science world to conduct group research to provide more benefits by covering a larger area, than individual research which covered a small scope, it is obvious that group research provide more benefits. In order to cover a vast area in a single research in collaboration with a number of experts in different fields, Dr. Upul Subasinghe thought of having multi-disciplinary research since 2005 at MSc level and brought the concept into the BSc level since 2009. The group members are listed below.

Dr. Upul Subasinghe (Senior Lecturer, Forest and Forest Plantation Management, Natural Resource Modelling, GIS and Remote Sensing), Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

Mr. Dhanushka Hettiarachchi (Research Associate, Pharmacology), School of Pharmacy, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia

Dr. K.M.A. Bandara (Research Officer, Silviculture), Forest Research Institute, Badulla, Sri Lanka

Ms. Chandani Edussuriya (Assistant Director, GIS Unit), Central Environmental Authority

It is expected to conduct such collaborative research with the renowned scientists in Australia, India, Indonesia and US in the future to share the knowledge, experience and expertise to enhance mutual benefits. However, The National Research Council already funds a collaborative research conducted by Dr. Upul Subasinghe as the Principal Investigator with the collaboration of Mr. Dhanushka Hettiarachchi and Prof. John Fox of the Curtin University of Technology of Western Australia.