Evaluation of Biomass Productivity and Estimated Carbon Sequestration Potential of Eucalyptus Clones Under High Water Table Conditions of South Western Punjab
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/ija.2026.28.02.05Keywords:
Allometric estimation, bio-drainage, biomass productivity, carbon sequestration, Eucalyptus clones, High Water tableAbstract
The present study was conducted during 2022–2024 at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, located at Goniana, District Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab, to evaluate the growth performance, biomass productivity, and carbon mitigation potential of six Eucalyptus clones (C-2045, C-2135, C-413, C-3020, C-316, and C-288) growing in a 9-year-old plantation under high water table conditions. The experiment was laid out in a factorial completely randomized block design with three replications. Significant variation was observed among the clones for growth, stem form, biomass accumulation, and carbon sequestration attributes. Clone C-2045 exhibited the best overall performance, recording superior growth, stem quality, biomass production, carbon stock, and CO₂ assimilation potential. Clone C-3020 ranked second and also demonstrated good adaptability to high water table conditions, whereas C-288 showed the poorest performance. Based on integrated growth and biomass indices, the overall clonal ranking was C-2045 > C-3020 > C-413 > C-2135 > C-316 > C-288. The results indicate that clones C-2045 and C-3020 are well suited for high water table regions of South-Western Punjab and offer considerable potential for enhancing timber production and carbon sequestration under climate-resilient forestry systems. A limitation of the study is that the evaluation was conducted at a single site, and carbon stock estimates were derived from biomass estimation equations rather than direct carbon measurements. These findings provide valuable guidance for clone selection in high water table environments and support sustainable plantation management in similar agro ecological regions.
Downloads
References
Arya, I. D., Sharma, S., & Arya, S. (2009). Micropropagation of superior Eucalyptus hybrids FRI-5 (Eucalyptus camaldulensis × Eucalyptus tereticornis) and FRI-14 (Eucalyptus torelliana × Eucalyptus citriodora): Commercial multiplication and field evaluation. African Journal of Biotechnology, 8, 5718–5726.
Binkley, D., Campoe, O. C., Gspaltl, M., & Forrester, D. I. (2013). Light absorption and use efficiency in forests: Why patterns differ for trees and stands. Forest Ecology and Management, 288, 5–13.
Brooker, M. I. H. (2000). A new classification of the genus Eucalyptus. Australian Systematic Botany, 13, 79–148.
Colmer, T. D., & Voesenek, L. A. C. J. (2009). Flooding tolerance: Suites of plant traits in variable environments. Functional Plant Biology, 36(8), 665–681.
Dagar, J. C., & Minhas, P. S. (2016). Agroforestry to rehabilitate the Indian coastal saline areas. In J. C. Dagar & P. S. Minhas (Eds.), Agroforestry for the management of waterlogged saline soils and poor-quality waters (Advances in Agroforestry, Vol. 13, pp. 121–143). Springer.
Dat, J., Capelli, N., Folzer, H., Bourgeade, P., & Badot, P. M. (2004). Sensing and signaling during plant flooding. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 42, 273–281.
Dhanda, R. S., & Singh, R. P. (1990). Volume and biomass tables for Eucalyptus hybrid (E. tereticornis) from Kandi area of Indian Punjab. Journal of Research, Punjab Agricultural University, 27, 428–433.
Dhillon, P. S., Dhillon, G. P. S., & Singh, B. (2019). Growth performance of Eucalyptus clones in saline soils. Indian Forester, 145(4), 315–320.
Bastos, F. E., De Deus Junior, J. C., Ebling, E. D., Neumann, M., & Reichert, J. M. (2024). Efficiency of water use by Eucalyptus spp. for water conservation and sustainable forest production. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 69(7), 844–860.
Forest Survey of India. (2023). India state of forest report 2023 (Vols. I–II, pp. 19–20). Forest Survey of India.
Gindaba, J., Rozanov, A., & Negash, L. (2005). Photosynthetic gas exchange, growth and biomass allocation of Eucalyptus and indigenous tree species under moisture deficit. Forest Ecology and Management, 205, 127–138.
Hakamada, R. E., Hubbard, R. M., Moreira, G. G., Stape, J. L., Campoe, O., & Ferraz, S. F. B. (2020). Influence of stand density on growth and water use efficiency in Eucalyptus clones. Forest Ecology and Management, 466, 118125.
Hazrat, B., Sobia, N., & Syed, S. A. (2014). Effects of exotic Eucalyptus plantation on ground and surface water. International Journal of Innovation Scientific Research, 8, 299–304.
Hoogar, R., Malakannavar, S., & Sujatha, H. T. (2019). Impact of Eucalyptus plantations on groundwater and soil ecosystem in dry regions. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 8, 2929–2933.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2006). 2006 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories: Volume 4: Agriculture, forestry and other land use.
Krishan, G., & Chopra, R. P. S. (2015). Assessment of waterlogging in south-western Punjab: A case study of Muktsar district. NDCWWC Journal, 4(1), 7–10.
Kumar, P., Mishra, A. K., Chaudhari, S. K., Sharma, D. K., Rai, A. K., Singh, K., Rai, P., & Singh, R. (2020). Carbon sequestration and soil carbon build-up under Eucalyptus plantation in semi-arid regions. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 40, 319–331.
Kumar, S., Kumar, S., Khanduri, V. P., Singh, B., Joshi, R., Riyal, M. K., Rawat, D., & Kumar, K. S. (2025). Tree diversity, carbon sequestration and production potential of Oryza sativa-based agroforestry systems. Carbon Research, 4(6).
Kumar, P., Mishra, A. K., Kumar, M., Chaudhari, S. K., Singh, R., Singh, K., Rai, P., & Sharma, D. K. (2019). Biomass production and carbon sequestration of Eucalyptus tereticornis in reclaimed sodic soils. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 89(7), 1091–1095.
Lal, P. (2001). Private sector forestry research: A success story from India. Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, 267, 33–48.
Marcar, N. E., & Benyon, R. (2003). Careful tree selection limits salinity spread. Farming Ahead, 109, 53–55.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. (2021). India: Third biennial update report to UNFCCC. Government of India.
Mushtaq, T., Banyal, R., Mugloo, J., & Aziz, M. A. (2017). Clonal forestry: An effective technique for increasing plantation productivity. SKUAST Journal of Research, 19, 22–28.
Nagarjuna, D., Devipriya, A., Mallikarjun, M., Naveen, S., Jyothi, G. S. L., & Sumathi, V. (2023). Evaluation of Eucalyptus clones for growth and yield. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 13, 514–520.
Newaj, R., Dhyani, S. K., Chavan, S. B., Rizvi, R. H., Prasad, R., Ajit, Alam, B., & Handa, A. K. (2014). Methodologies for assessing biomass, carbon stock and carbon sequestration in agroforestry systems. National Research Centre for Agroforestry.
Panse, V. G., & Sukhatme, P. V. (1989). Statistical methods for agricultural workers. Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
Parent, C., Capelli, N., Berger, A., Crevecoeur, M., & Dat, J. F. (2008). Plant responses to soil waterlogging. Plant Stress, 2, 20–27.
Rassaefar, M., Hosseini, N., Haji, H. A., Zandi, P., Moradi, A. A., & Aghdam, A. (2013). Allelopathic effects of Eucalyptus globulus essential oil. Trakia Journal of Sciences, 1, 73–81.
Rout, C. K. (2022). Crown architecture, growth and yield of promising Eucalyptus clones for farm forestry [Doctoral dissertation, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology].
Sandhu, N. K., Dhillon, G. P. S., & Brar, A. S. (2020). Growth performance of Eucalyptus clones under varying moisture levels. Indian Journal of Agroforestry, 22, 74–77.
Saravanan, S. (2019). Dry matter production in Eucalyptus clones. International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology, 12, 381–387.
Sharma, M. R., Reddy, M. C., Rajendra, M. P., & Ravula, R. (2022). Evaluation of novel Eucalyptus clones for biomass production. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 11, 2396–2701.
Singh, A., & Dhillon, G. P. S. (2020). Evaluation of Eucalyptus clones under seasonal waterlogging. Current Agriculture Research, 8, 98–103.
Singh, A., Singh, P., Dhillon, G. P. S., Sharma, S., Singh, B., & Gill, R. I. S. (2023). Impact of salinity and waterlogging on Eucalyptus growth and carbon sequestration. Plant and Soil, 482, 401–425.
Singh, J., Sandhu, P. S., & Kaur, A. (2020). Evaluation of Eucalyptus clones under waterlogged conditions. Indian Journal of Forestry, 43(3), 254–259.
Singh, B., Kaur, H., & Thakur, S. (2025). Effect of nutrient sources on growth and carbon sequestration in Melia azedarach and Eucalyptus tereticornis. Journal of Soil Salinity and Water Quality, 17(1), 100–109.
Solís, M., Hammerbacher, A., Wingfield, M. J., & Naidoo, S. (2025). Enhancing plantation forest sustainability: A review of Eucalyptus defence mechanisms to foliar fungal pathogens. Current Forestry Reports, 11(1), 13.
Subbiah, B. V., & Asija, G. L. (1956). A rapid procedure for estimation of available nitrogen in soils. Current Science, 25, 259–260.
Valadares, J., Paula, N. F., & Paula, R. C. (2014). Physiological changes in Eucalyptus hybrids under irrigation regimes. Revista Ciência Agronômica, 45, 805–814.
Vellini, A. L. T. T., Paula, N. F., Alves, P. L., Pavani, L. C., Bonine, C., Scarpinati, E. A., & Paula, R. C. (2008). Growth and physiological traits of Eucalyptus clones under water regimes. Revista Árvore, 32, 651–663.
Vijayaraghavan, A., & Sivakumar, V. (2017). Selection of site-specific Eucalyptus clones for higher productivity. IJRDO – Scientific Journal of Biological Science, 3, 36–53.
Zobel, B. J., & Talbert, J. T. (1984). Applied forest tree improvement. New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science, 15, 353–365.

