Bhadrachalam Clones of Eucalyptus – An Achievement of ITC

ITC Limited Bhadrachalam Paperboards Division has successfully implemented a major research and development project begun in 1989 with a view to improving the productivity and profitability of plantations and making farm forestry an attractive land use option. The major research and development emphasis has been on genetic improvement of planting stock and improvement in the “package of practices” used by growers. Significant gains in productivity of eucalyptus have been achieved through vegetative propagation and cloning techniques and exploitation of existing useful variation. These clones, developed in India for the first time, are known as `Bhadrachalam’ clones. Productivity of clones released for commercial plantations, ranges between 20 and 58 cubic meter per hectare per year under un-irrigated conditions compared to 6 to 10 cubic meters per hectare per year productivity of eucalyptus plantations raised from available seed sources. Several intra-specific and inter-specific hybrids of eucalyptus have been developed through controlled pollination. Development and deployment of locality-specific, high-yielding, fast-growing and diseaseresistant clones has been followed by rapid adoption and raising of large-scale commercial clonal eucalyptus plantations. Between 1992-2001, nearly 14 million clonal saplings were supplied to farmers and Forest Departments covering 8000 ha of plantations. Current production capacity is 6 million saplings per year. This paper discusses the success story of development and commercial scale deployment of high yielding, fast growing and disease resistant clones of Eucalyptus and the promotion of technology-based clonal farm forestry plantations in India. Policy issues and reforms concerning registration of clones of tree species, registration of nurseries, certification of improved tree seed and clonal planting material, regulatory mechanisms and transit rules for harvesting and marketing of farm grown wood etc. are also discussed briefly.