the growth of wild cherry (prunus avium

Rory Lunny EURAF Conference Montpellier, Monday 23rd – Wednesday 25th May 2016

The growth of wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) varieties

interplanted with willow (Salix spp.)

Lunny, Rory.1&3*, McAdam, Jim. 1&2, Douglas, Gerry C.3

1 School of Biological Sciences, Queens University Belfast, Belfast,

BT9 7BL

2 Agri-Food Bioscience Institute (AFBI), Newforge Lane, Belfast,

BT9 5PX

3 Teagasc, Kinsealy Research Centre, Malahide Road, Dublin 17.


Why do the research?

URGENT NEED!


• Forest cover Ireland - just over 11% of the land area (FAO, 2015).

- increase forest cover to 18% by 2050.

• Hardwood timber supply (2014) - heavy dependency

- imported 30,000m3 (€23.9 million).

- produced 5,756m3 (UNECE, 2015)

• Energy – Security of supply

- 2014: 85% import dependency - oil dominant energy source (47%) (SEAI, 2015)

- Need indigenous predictable renewable energy supply

• Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015

• EU 2020 Commitment


Present Systems

Agroforestry System (AFS) for

high value timber and agricultural

production.

Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) for

energy wood production

Combine both systems


Alley Coppice System High Value Cherry Timber Crop

Willow Energy Inter-crop

Long Term Rotation (50-60 years)

Short Term Rotation (2-3 years)

=

= ? ? ? ?


Objectives • Measure the interactions between a cherry tree

crop and willow bioenergy intercrop in an Alley Coppice System.

• Identify the ideal buffer-zone (spacing) treatment between a cherry tree crop and a willow bioenergy crop.

• Identify suitable varieties for system - cherry &

willow


Why Willow?

• Proven biomass production potential.

• Easy to propagate & harvest.

• Broad genetic base to work from.

• Short rotation cycle (2-4 years) – available on predictable

basis.

• Vigorous juvenile growth.

• Resprouts vigorously after consecutive harvests.

• High in dry matter.

• Will tolerate poor wet soils – ‘marginal land’.


Why Cherry?

• Native noble hardwood species of high value.

•Tolerate a wide range of soils:- pH 4 – 8.

• Immune to damage from grey squirrels.

• Rapid growth in the first part of its life.

• Short rotation 55-70 years – compared with Oak (100

years) and Beech (120 years).

• Underutilised compared to other hardwoods.


Why Clonal rather than seed produced?

• Greater uniformity.

• Stronger apical dominance.

• Improved vigour.

- stem diameter & height.

• Better pest & disease resistance.

• Lower mortality rate.


Materials and Methods

Study Site

Loughgall, Co. Armagh

Lat: N54 23’ 53” Long: W6 36’ 41”

ASL: 34m a.s.l.

Soil Type: Brown earth

Climate: Maritime

Mean Annual Air Temp (2015): 9.5°C

Total Annual Rainfall (2015): 1093 mm

Belfast

Dublin

Loughgall


• Willow (Salix spp.)

• 9,600 cuttings (1,920 per

clonal variety)

- Clones Beagle, Resolution,

Endeavour, Terra Nova & Olof.

• Cherry (Prunus avium L.)

• 180 trees in total (30 per cultivar)

- 5 German cultivars – Neso,

Concordia, Pluto, Saturn &

Hermes.

- 1 U.K. - Control (Bare root)

Materials and Methods


Treatments

1 meter buffer-zone 2 meter buffer-zone


Experimental Design Main

Plot

BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK

1m 2m 1m 2m 2m 1m

Sub

Sub

Plot

Main

Plot

Main

Plot

Main

Plot

Main

Plot

Main

Plot

Sub

Plot

Sub

Plot

Sub

Plot

Sub

Plot

Sub

Plot

Sub

Plot


Establishment – Willow SRC

0.75m

0.60m


Overview: Alley Coppice System Ground Prep &

Planting

2 months after coppice

2 years after coppice

Coppiced after 1st season

2 months after planting


Measuring Process – Plant Growth

Total Height (cm)

Root Collar Diameter (mm)

•Cherry & Willow

• Monthly


Light Measurement

2m 2m


Harvesting Selection Sub-Plot Level

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Willow Guard Rows

Willow Guard Rows

Willow Guard Rows

CHERRY TREES CHERRY TREES

Selected Willow Stools

Selected Willow Stools

Sub-Plot Sub-Plot


Selection of Willow Stools for harvest

5

Stools

5

Stools

5

Stools

5

Stools

20

Stools

per

subplot

180 Subplots = 3600 stools


Harvesting Process – Fresh Weight


Post Harvest


Oven Drying Process – Dry Matter %


Growth Results


Mean Cherry Height July 2015


Mean Cherry Height 2015


Mean Cherry rcd 2015


Mean Willow Height 2015


Mean Willow rcd 2015


Light Results


Mean PAR 2015


Yield Results


Total Willow Fresh Cut Weight per sub plot sample March 2016


Willow Dry Matter % March 2016


Conclusion

• 2 metre buffer zone allows for greater tree growth than 1 metre between the cherry and willow.

• Cherry varieties Concordia and Neso – superior growth.

• Willow varieties Endeavour best for dry matter %. Resolution, Olaf and Beagle still good.


Future Research

• Larger buffer zone treatments 4, 6 or 8 meters.

• Other alternative high value hardwoods e.g. Hybrid or Black Walnut.

• A 3 year rotation on the SRC willow crop.

• Willow from other breeding programmes e.g. North America.

• Poplar cultivars as alternative bioenergy crop.

THANK YOU

Project supported by the Walsh Fellowship Fund

provided by Teagasc.

the growth of wild cherry (prunus avium

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