THE RESPONSE OF 3 LEUCAENA-LEUCOCEPHALA CULTIVARS TO A 4-CYCLE CUTTING FREQUENCY UNDER RAIN-FED DRYLAND CONDITIONS IN ZIMBABWE

All experiment was conducted to investigate the relative ease of estab lishment and dry matter (DM) production of 3 Leucaena leucocephala cul tivars (Cunningham, Hawaiian giant and Peru) grown on granite-derived sandy soil (pH 4.8 CaCl2) under low rainfall (average 600 mm/annum) co nditions. Plants were first harvested after 9 months of primary growth and at 4-monthly intervals thereafter, by cutting back to 50 cm above ground-level. Cunningham was quicker to establish than Peru and Hawai ian giant as evidenced by greater DM production in the 9-month period following planting. With cutting at 4-monthly intervals thereafter, Pe ru produced only half as much dry matter as Cunningham and Hawaiian gi ant.