Effect of planting vertical/horizontal willow (Salix spp.) cuttings on establishment and yield

The conventional, commercial method of planting Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) willow is the use of a willow planter which delivers 20 cm hardwood cuttings vertically into the soil. On well prepared sites an establishment rate in excess of 90% is normal. Recently there has been interest in developing alternative planting protocols with the imminent launch of a ‘lay-flat planter’ which lays lengths of willow end to end at a depth of 8–10 cm. Small experimental plots were established in 2000 using two Salix spp. genotypes, ‘Olof’ and ‘V7534’ and three planting methods: conventional ‘cuttings’ (20 cm lengths planted vertically), ‘lay-flat’ rods (2–3 m lengths planted horizontally) and ‘billets’ (10 cm lengths planted horizontally). Two three-year harvests were taken in 2003/04 and 2006/07 when establishment, growth pattern and yield were assessed. While there were significant differences between the two genotypes, both responded in a similar way to the different planting protocols. Generally growth from billets was less than from either cuttings or lay-flat rods. The lay-flat system required almost three times more propagating material than either the cuttings or billets. Consequently for the system to be commercially viable significant savings must be made elsewhere, possibly through preparation of planting material, ground preparation or reducing planting costs.