Pulp wood traits of Eucalyptus camaldulensis clones across three contrasting locations in southern India

Pulp wood traits of six Eucalyptus camaldulensis clones were evaluated at 3 years across three contrasting locations (Ongole-A.P., Bhadrachalam-Telangana and Mettupalayam-Tamil Nadu) in southern India. The clones grown at wetter Bhadrachalam and coastal Ongole sites had 2–3 times better growth and 5–6% higher pulp yield than those grown at a dry site in Mettupalayam. Alkali consumption and extractive content was higher (32% and 58%, respectively) in clones from Mettupalayam compared to the other sites. Wood density and lignin S / G ratio showed marginal variation across the three sites. Procuring wood from Ongole and Bhadrachalam would be more profitable for pulp industry due to higher pulp yield, lower extractive content and lower alkali consumption compared to dry, low productivity sites like Mettupalayam.