Introductory Agroforestry (1+1)

PROPAGATION

Artificial Propagation

• M. alba can be propagated either by planting out nursery raised seedlings or through rooted branch cuttings.
• Nursery raised seedlings are planted out either as entire plants or as stumps, the latter give better results than the former.
• Direct sowing does not produce good results.

SEED COLLECTION AND STORAGE

• Ripe fruits should be collected from the trees
• Fruits should never be collected from the ground as the seed in such fruits is generally insect attacked
• The fruits are heaped in the shade, rubbed and washed in water to separate out the seed which is dried in sun for a few days before storage
• The fruits may be pressed in a cloth to extract the juice and the pulp is then dried in sun, rubbed by hand and winnowed to remove the seed
• About 430-460 seeds weigh one gram.
• Seed stored in gunny bags is reported to lose vitality completely after one year’s storage.
• Carefully prepared seed can be stored in sealed tins in which it keeps well.
• The seed stratified in layers of fine dry sand or ash keeps well for over two years.

NURSERY TECHNIQUES

• Sowing in the nursery is done in May-June, soon after seed collection.
• Sowing is done in lines about 20 cm apart.
• Stratification in moist sand at about 50C temperature for about 30-90 days is reported to improve germination.
• Soaking of the seed in cold water for about a week is also reported to hasten and ensure uniform germination.
• Pre-sowing treatment of the seed with kerosene oil is also recommended to protect it from being carried away by ants.
• One bottle of kerosene oil is sufficient to treat about 37 kg seed.

Plate 14.2 Clonal nursery of Morus alba

• The seed is mixed with ash or sawdust to ensure uniform sowing.
• It is covered only lightly with fine soil.
• Germination commences in about a week and may be completed in another 10 days
• The seedlings are transplanted when about 10 cm tall at a spacing of about 60 cm x 60 cm.
• Transplanting may be done in winter.
• For the production of stumps, the seedlings may be retained in the nursery for one or two years depending on their growth rate.
• About 2 cm collar diameter is considered to be the most suitable size for stumps.

PLANTING TECHNIQUE

• Out of the two common methods namely, planting out of entire plants and stump planting, the latter ensures higher success and is preferred.
• Stumps are prepared out of one or two years old seedlings ensuring that their collar diameter is normally not less than 1 cm.
• Stumps of about 1.5-2 cm collar diameter perform better.
• Stumps with about 22 cm root and 8 cm shoot are prepared with a sharp tool so that these do not spilt during preparation.
• These are wrapped in moist gunny bags during transport.
• Planting is done either in crow bar holes or in 30 cm3 pits.
• Morus alba can be raised by planting branch cuttings also. This method is however, not employed for raising plantations and is employed to multiply clonal material of good varieties.
• The spacing depends upon the objectives of raising the plantations.
• Close spacing may suffice if the trees are to be pollarded for leaf production.
• Wider spacing of 4 m x 4 m or 5 m x 5 m may be necessary if timber and leaf production are to be combined.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

• Wood is in chief demand for sports industry especially used for hockey sticks, tennis and badminton rackets and cricket bats etc.
• Used for boat-building, house construction, furniture
• It is good fuelwood having calorific value of sapwood and heartwood 4658 and 5003 kcal/kg respectively.
• The leaf fodder of mulberry is of good quality
• The leaves are good for silk worm rearing