SURVIVAL, GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF TREE SPECIES UNDER EVALUATION FOR AGROFORESTRY TO CONTROL SALINITY IN THE WESTERN-AUSTRALIAN WHEAT-BELT

Survival and growth were investigated for 10 Eucalyptus species and 2 fodder tree species planted for salinity control in the wheatbelt of W estern Australia. After two years of growth the trees were harvested t o determine fodder biomass production and yields of cineole from the e ucalyptus leaf oil. Subsequent harvests were conducted at three and fi ve years after planting. At each harvest, biomass production from fodd er species was greater than from most species of eucalypts. Biomass yi elds from eucalypts were variable, and there were no consistent trends in the productivity of the different species for the three harvests. Leaf cineole concentrations and cineole yields were low after two year s of growth, but after three and five years cineole yields were genera lly higher from all species. E. kochii subspp. plenissima and kochii, E. horistes, E. radiata and E. angustissima produced consistently high cineole yields after three and five years. These species appear to ha ve potential for the production of high grade eucalyptus oil in the wh eatbelt of Western Australia.