Abstract

This research evaluated the influence of different spatial arrangements on the growth of three Eucalyptus clones as well as the characteristics that influence the quality of the timber. The experiment was carried out at Embrapa - Beef Cattle station, Campo Grande city, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. The design was in randomized blocks in a factorial scheme (3 × 3) with plots subdivided by time and four repetitions. Three clones of Eucalyptus were used (Urocam VM1, Grancam 1277 and Urograndis I144), and there were three spatial arrangements (single, double and triple row). At 20 and 32 months after planting, the variables, total plant height, diameter at breast height (DBH), volume of timber per tree, volume of timber per hectare, straightness and forking, and cylindricity were evaluated. The spatial arrangements influenced the behavior of the genetic material, and the greatest tree heights were observed in the triple row arrangements. The single row arrangement provided greater gains in DBH. The Grancam clone stood out from the others in the characteristics of straightness and forking, independent of the spatial arrangement and time of evaluation. It was concluded that the volume of timber per tree and the volume of timber per hectare were associated with the planting density, low density results in lower volume.

Key words: Agroforestry-pasture systems, spacing, timber quality.