Effect of two vs. three year harvest intervals on yields of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) willow

Five genotypes of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) willow: ‘Beagle’ ((S. viminalis ‘L810203’ x ‘L81102’) ‘Astrid’ male parent unknown), ‘Olof’ (S. ‘Bowles Hybrid’) schwerinii ‘L79069’) ‘L78195’ ‘L78101’) ‘Orm’) ‘Bjorn’). ‘Ashton Stott’ (S.viminalis S.dasyclados ‘Korso’, ‘Tora’ ‘Orm’), and ‘Torhild’ ‘79,069’) viminalis) S. ‘L78101’)) ‘Tora’) ((S.viminalis were grown in large mono-plots or within plots intimate mixtures. Over a seven year period half the harvested on two-year harvest cycle (three harvests) rest three-year (two harvests). At end this 7 trial there no significant differences between total dry weights stool survival, irrespective interval. With realisation importance finding for more regular crop management practices, experiment was continued further six years allowing round two three harvests. Results suggest that ultimately are yield penalties, although these may be minimised by careful appropriate clonal selection.