Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as the balsa tree, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. The tree is famous for its wide usage in woodworking, due to its softness and its high strength compared to its low density.
The manufacture of wind turbine blades generally uses balsa wood as the base materials, and it is crucial to explore new regions for cultivating balsa trees to achieve carbon neutrality in the future. Xishuangbanna may be China’s only area suitable for the large-scale planting of balsa trees which is China’s main tropical area not prone to typhoons.
In a study published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) investigated the key soil elements influencing the growth of balsa plantations and the effects of different cultivation practices on soil environments and economic benefits in Xishuangbanna.
The study applied the practice of mulching to the cultivation of balsa trees to improve soil moisture during the dry season and enhance the availability of soil nutrients.
They found that the height of balsa stems after growing for 4 years reached 5.8 m; the diameter at breast height (DBH) reached 27.7 cm, and the volume of balsa stems reached 196.0 m3 per hectar (ha) in Xishuangbanna, China. Increasing the content of exchangeable magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) in the soil is essential for the growth of balsa trees, while exchangeable Alaluminium (Al) inhibited the growth of balsa trees.
Furthermore, plastic film mulching not only improved the soil moisture of the 40–100 cm soil layer in the dry season and the 0–60 cm soil layer in the rainy season, but also enhanced the soil nitrate nitrogen content in the balsa plantation compared with the practice without plastic mulching.
In addition, the researchers found that coriander, ginger, and taro can be planted in balsa plantations with plastic film mulching, which significantly improved the comprehensive economic benefits of balsa plantations.
"Balsa tree is suitable for planting in Xishuangbanna, and its successful planting provides an opportunity for wind energy development in China. Balsa/coriander/ginger/taro plantations with plastic film mulching can be popularized in Southeast Asia,” said LIU Changan of XTBG.
Contact
LIU Changan Ph.D
Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun 666303, Yunnan, China
E-mail: liuchangan@xtbg.ac.cn
First published: 02 February 2024
Balsa plantation in Xishuangbanna, China. (Image by LIU Changan)
