Possibility of bare-root seedling application for tropical forest and landscape restoration: A study on Gmelina arborea and Calophyllum inophyllum

Abstract

Container and bare-root seedlings are the two basic stock types used in reforestation programs in many countries, but in the tropics, bare-root seedlings have never been widely applied. The objective of this research was to assess the possibility of bare-root seedlings for tropical forest and landscape restoration treated by fertilization in the nursery and aquasorb treatment using two forest tree species, i.e., Calophyllum inophyllum and Gmelina arborea. A randomized block design was used to assess the seedling performance in nursery and aquasorb application on bare-root seedlings and container (polybag) seedlings as a comparison. This research indicated that NPK fertilization in the nursery was able to increase the seedling growth of C. inophyllum and G. arborea. In the field test, polybag seedlings had better survival and growth than bare-root seedlings. The best survival and growth in both species were shown by the polybag seedling with fertilization and aquasorb treatment. The treatment also increased the bare-root seedling growth in both species. Bare-root seedlings of C. calophyllum resulted in higher seedling survival than bare-root seedlings of G. arborea. The application of bare-root seedling on C. inophyllum is more prospective to be applied in the tropics.