IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Volume: 03 Issue: 06 | June-2014, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 250 PLANT HEIGHT MODEL FOR EUCALYPTUS PLANTATIONS FOR BIODRAINAGE USE S.K.Singh 1 , Chhedi Lal Verma 2 , D.K. Sharma 3 1 Ph.D. Scholar, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Uttar Pradesh Technical University, Lucknow, U.P., India 2 Senior Scientist and Ex. Professor, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, RRS, Lucknow, U.P., India 3 Director, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, ICAR, Karnal, India Abstract Biodrainage is advocated for controlling seepage, water logging and salt accumulation in root zone due to its excessive ET demand. Eucalyptus is most suitable for establishing biodrainage belt. Farmers are also growing as a sole plantations crop for meeting timber. Eucalyptus wood has got different uses in different sector. Eucalyptus logs are most commonly used for preparing shuttering of building construction. Its plies in boxes are used for making fruits packing. It is also used in paper and pulp industry. Its chips are used making particles board. Many times, shelter belt of eucalyptus are also develop protect in area under varying topographic situation and climatic condition. It can be successfully grown on marginal, saline, sodic and waterlogged land. It is fast growing tree and its economic return depends on its height and girth. It’s used for biodraining waterlogged land depend upon the plant height and canopy cover. Information on plant height relation to plantation age will be quite useful for optimizing net return from agricultural block. Use of eucalyptus plant for biodrainage waterlogged soil is based on the highest evapotranspirative demand. Which is again a function of plant height, thus plant height modeling with plantation age can provide a base for optimization economic return and water table and salinity management. Annual budgeting of ground water extraction is required for designing biodrainage belt. Eucalyptus plant’s height keeps on increasing up to the age of 8 to 10 years. In the present study a best fitting correlation model was identified describing plant height response with age of eucalyptus using lysimetric data. The Weibull Model described tree height with age extremely well with r = 0.9998 and S = 0.0419. The Weibull Model predicted eucalyptus plant heights were found to be 3.35, 5.92, 9.39, 12.68, 15.07, 16.47, 17.12, 17.37, 17.45 and 17.47 m for every month of December over a period of 10 years. The Weibull Model predicted maximum plant height of 17.12 m in seven year matching well with reported plant height data in the literature. The present model could be used for estimating height of eucalyptus trees at different age in biodrainage belt. Keywords: Biodrainage; Canal Seepage; Evapotranspiration; Sodic; Waterlogging --------------------------------------------------------------------***------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. INTRODUCTION Agriculture over the globe is confronted with the serious problem of waterlogging and salinity. Major reasons for waterlogging of agricultural lands are excessive seepage from canals, high rainfall, over irrigation, insufficient existing internal drainage and blockage of natural drainage systems. Salt accumulation is generally associated with waterlogging. More than 3.95 million hectare of (M ha) land is waterlogged and 8.6 M ha is salt affected in India [14]. Reclamation of waterlogged and waterlogged salt affected soil is possible only by lowering water table below a critical depth so that capillary rise can be minimized to reduce the salt accumulation in the root zone. Lowering water table below root zone is essentially required for successful crop management under water logged condition when salt accumulation is not an issue. Lowering of water table below critical depth is required for the area where secondary salinization is acute problem. In arid and semiarid areas where annual evaporation is much higher than the annual rainfall depth, there is a great risk of salt accumulation in the root zone due to secondary salinization. India is having a good network of unlined canals; consequently appreciable amount of water goes as waste due to excessive seepage. Seepage water slowly makes the adjoining area waterlogged if internal drainage of the area is not sufficient to cope up with the canal seepage rate. In India, the seepage losses are estimated to the tune of 45% of the water diverted into canal systems [15]. In the areas where gravity outlet is not available with sufficient fall and water quality is poor for recycling, biodrainage remains only left out option for controlling waterlogging and salinization [9]. Biodrainage is also suitable for difficult terrain and subsoil with poor fertility and water transmission characteristics. The biodrainage system involves growing certain categories of plants/trees/shrubs/grasses that habitually draw their main water supply directly from the ground water or the capillary fringe just above it [10]. The Eucalyptus and Popular are the most common tree species grown widely over the globe for controlling water table. Species suggested for plantation in the salt affected areas for reclamation purpose was Salvadora, Tamarix, Eucalyptus, Prosopis juliflora etc [17]. Biodrainage belt along the canal is recommended to intercept canal seepage. Biodrainage is a cheaper option and it does not involve highly skilled techniques and person to grow and maintain it. It may give in return timber, fuel and fodder besides improving environment. Systematic data, design criteria and performance of biodrainge under waterlogged situation with or without salinity are still