CLONAL PROPAGATION OF

“BHADRACHLAM” CLONES OF
EUCALYPTUS SPECIES AT TNPL

DR. K. SIRNIVAS.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
SRI KIRAN BIOTECH
VILLAGE – GOPALPURAM
MANDAL – THIRUMALAYPALEM
DISTRICT – KHAMMAM – 507 163
ANDHRA PRADESH
PH – 08742 248568 , 9849194748
 Executors Profile
Dr. K. Srinivas.M.Sc (Ag) Ph.D.

• Experience – Worked for 16 years in various wings of Plantation

Department at ITC Bhadrachalam - Research, Production, Extension,
Marketing, Social Forestry, Farm Forestry, Captive Plantation etc.

• Presently running successfully Eucalyptus Clonal Production and

Research center with an annual capacity of 50 lakh plants since 5 years.

• Consultant to TNPL and also Contractor for production of 10 Million

Clonal plants of Eucalyptus and Casuarina under green house conditions
and turnkey projects in farm forestry and captive plantations.

• Construction of Green houses and designing .

 Major accomplishments at ITC

♦ Selection of 89 outstanding, genetically superior, fast growing and disease resistant clones of
eucalypts and 10 clones of Casuarina.

♦ Development and deployment of intra specific and inter specific hybrid clones of eucalypts.
♦ Selection of Eucalyptus clones adaptable to saline / alkaline soils

♦ Establishment  of  large  number  of  clonal  testing  areas,  clonal  demonstration  plots  and  gene
banks of promising Eucalyptus clones.

♦ Planting of clonal seed orchards with the most promising clones.

♦ Management  of  large  scale  containerized  nurseries  and  major  farm  forestry  project  and
supply of genetically superior clonal planting stock to farmers.

♦ Production of clonal planting stock of 6 million saplings per year.

♦ Providing genetically improved planting stocks matching the clones to site

♦  Provide technical extension services from site selection till harvest.

♦  Help farmers by arranging logging and transport of the plantation wood.

♦ Farmers  are  now  able  to  increase  pulp  wood  productivity  by  4-5  folds.  And
successfully able to earn profits from there waste lands
Major Achievements
• Development of High yielding disease
resistant Site specific Eucalyptus clones.
• Development of Hybrid Eucalyptus Clones
• Volume tables for Eucalyptus Clonal
Plantations for predicting yields.
• Developed package of practices for raising
Eucalyptus nurseries and plantations.
 TECHNICAL PAPERS PRESENTED / PUBLISHED BY Dr. K. SRINIVAS
1. Srinivas, K., Manoharachary, C., and Kunwar, I. (2005)  Report on new Fungal Pathogen on Eucalyptus
Ind. Phytopath. Vol 58 (4).

2. Srinivas, K.  and  C.  Manoharachary  (2005)  Cultural  measures  to  control  fungal  diseases  of  forestry
plantations  with  special  reference  to  Eucalyptus spp.  Paper  presented  in  the  National  Symposium  On
Exotics In Indian Forestry P.A.U. Ludhiana

3. Srinivas, K.,  Rao  S.N.  and  Prasad  J.V.N.S.  (2004).Selection  of  Plus  Trees  of  Eucalyptus  for 
Forestry  Systems.  Paper  presented  in  the  1st  World  Congress  of  Agro  forestry:  Working  Together  for
Sustainable Land –use Systems. Orlando.Florida.

4. S.  N.  Rao,  K.  Srinivas  and  Sanjay  K.  Singh  (2004)  Adoption  of  Eucalyptus-based  Agroforestry
Systems  in  Rainfed  Semiarid  Areas  of  Andhra.  Pradesh,  India  .  Proc.  of  1st    World  congress  of 
forestry- Working together for sustainable land use .Orlando Florida U.S.A.

5. Srinivas,K.:  (2004).  Pathological  aspects  of  Eucalyptus  camaldulensis Dehnh  and  Eucalyptus
Tereticomis Smith.(Prof C Manohara Chary) Botany Dep, Osmania Univ, Hyderabad, 2004

6. Srinivas, K. Prasad, J.V.N.S. and Rao S.N (2003). Eucalyptus based agro forestry systems for improving

the  productivity  of  arable  lands.  Paper    presented  in  the  national  symposium  on  Agroforestry  and
sustainable production at the IGFRI, Jhansi.

7. J.V.N.S.Prasad, K.V.Rao, G.R.Korwar, C.A.R. Rao, K. Srinivas and S.N.Rao (2003) Industry Promoted
agroforestry  systems  forl  pulp  wood  production  under  rainfed  conditions  in  India.  Proc.  of  the
international conference on Rural Livelihoods Forests and Biodiversity. Bonn, Germany.

8. Srinivas, K., Manoharachary, C., Kulkarni, H.D. and Desai, V.V (2001) Diseases associated with 
Eucalyptus  in  Andhra  Pradesh  .  Proc.  of  Regional  Workshop  on  Problems  and  Prospects  in 
forestry. At ITC Bhadrachalam Sarapaka.

9. Srinivas, K.,  Kulkarni,  H.D..  Desai,  V.V  and    Manoharachary,  C.(2001)  A  new  Technique  for
inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza  Proc. National Symposium on Botany in New Millennium          (
UGC- SAP II) in Botany Osmania University Hyderabad.

10. Lal,  P.,  H.D.  Kulkarni,  K. Srinivas,  K.R.  Venkatesh,  and  P.  Santha-Kumar,  (1997).    Genetically
Improved Clonal Planting Stock of Eucalyptus - A Success Story from India.   Indian Forester, 123 (12)
1117-1138
11. Srinivas, K.,  Manoharachary, C.,  Kulkarni, H.D.  and  Shanthakumar.P  (1997) Major Fungal
diseases  of  Eucalyputs  in  Andhra  Pradesh  .  Proc.  of  National  symposium  on  Fungi  in
diversified Habitats. UGC SAP in Botany, Osmania University, Hyderabad.

12. Lal,  P.,  H.D.Kulkarni  and  K. Srinivas  (1996).    Genetic  Improvement  of  Eucalyptus  and
Casuarina  through  Clonal  Technology.    In:  Infrastructure  for  Biotech  Development.    Ed.
Prabha Chandrasekhar, Tech Facilitators Pvt. Ltd., Chennai  :   P. 41-46

13. Lal, P., H.D. Kulkarni and K.Srinivas (1996 a).  Clonal Planting Stock of Casuarina - ITC
Bhadrachalam Experience. In: Recent Casuarina Research and Development, Proceedings of
the  Third  International  Casuarina  Workshop,  Da  Nang,  Vietnam.    Eds.  K.Pinyopusarerk,
J.W. Turnbull, S.J. Midgley, CSIRO, Canberra, P. 162-166.

14. Lal,  P.,  H.D.  Kulkarni  and  K.Srinivas  (1994).  Four  Years  of  Eucalyptus  Improvement
through Clonal Technology by ITC Bhadrachalam Paperboards Ltd.  Poster paper presented
at the Second Asia-Pacific Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology, Madras, 6-10 
1994.

15. Lal,    P.,  H.D.  Kulkarni  and  K. Srinivas  (1993).    Eucalyptus  Improvement    Programme  of
ITC  Bhadrachalam  Paperboards  Ltd.    Proceedings  of  Workshop  on  “Production  of
Genetically  Improved  Planting  Material  for  Afforestation  Programmes”.    Field  Document
No.7, FAO Project RAS/91/004.  FAO, Los Banos, Philippines :  57-66.

16. Srinivas K,  Shanmugan  N,  Ramaraj  B,(1993)  Note  on  the  mycorrhizal  association  with
important tree species under different soil types. Madras.Ag,. Jl. 80 (1): 51 – 53.

17. Lal. P., H.D. Kulkarni and K. Srinivas (1992). Vegetative Propagation for Improvement of

Eucalyptus  -  Bhadrachalam  Experience.    In:  Vegetative  Propagation  /  Biotechnologies  for
Tree Improvement.  Ed. K. Kesava Reddy, Natraj Publishers, Dehra Dun  :1-10.

18. Srinivas,K.  ,Shanmugam,N  and  Ramaraj,B.  (1988)  Effect  of  VAM  on  growth  and  nutrient
uptake  of  Forest  tree  seedlings.  Proc.  of  First  Asian  Conference  on  Mycorrhizae.  Univ.  of
Madras: 294 – 297.

19. Srinivas,K.  ,Shanmugam,N  and  Ramaraj,B.  (1988a)  A  New  technique  for  inoculation  of
VAM fungi. Proc. of First Asian Conference on Mycorrhizae. Univ. of Madras: 325.

20. Srinivas,K.  ,Shanmugam,N  and  Ramaraj,B.  (1988b)  Survey  for  the  occurrence  of  native
VAM Fungi Proc. of First Asian Conference on Mycorrhizae. Univ. of Madras: 111 – 113
Eucalyptus Mycology
• Two species, i.e. Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E.
tereticornis , are more popular species among farmers
as being sufficiently drought tolerant while also capable
of withstanding, under irrigation, the very hot summer
temperatures, suitable for a wide range of sites. The
species were, of course, also selected because they are
suitable for the manufacturing of quality paper.

• Major losses due to fungal pathogens occurred where E.

camaldulensis and E. tereticornis was grown in uniform
and genetically susceptible stands. Fungal diseases are a
major problem in all growth stages.
• During screening the diseases of Eucalyptus Clonal
plants in open nursery & field plantation many fungal
species have been isolated viz., Alternaria alternata,
Cylindrocladium parvum, Pestalotiopsis versicolor,
Corticium salmanicolor, Phytophthora cinomomi,
Glomerella cingulata, Armelaria mellea, Capnodium sp.,
Fusarium dimerum , Curvularia lunata, Chaetomella
raphigera, etc.
 Nitrogen Deficiency

Intraveinal Chlorosis Yellowing of juvenile leaf
Phosphorus Deficeincy

Necrotic spots on expanding and juvenile leaf
Potassium Deficiency

Marginal leaf necrosis in fully expanded leaf 
Boron Deficiency
Drought Water Logging
 BREAKTHROUGH BY CLONAL
TECHNOLOGY
• Productivity per hectare raised to a
level - 24 to 58 CuM (tons)/year/ha
i.e. 3 to 7 times higher than seed
route plantations.

• Survival rate - More than 90%

• Proved alternative to commercial agri

& horti crops
Characteristics for CPT selection

•VERY LARGE GIRTH

•LONG BOLE
•DOMINANT HEIGHT
•FREE FROM DISEASES
•SELF PRUNING
•LESS TAPER
 PARAMETERS FOR GENETIC SUPERIORITY
OF CLONES

•ADAPTABILITY
•GROWTH RATES
•DISEASE RESISTANCE
•TREE BOLE
•WOOD QUALITY .

BHADRACHALAM CLONE
NO.6 IN CTA AT SARAPAKA –
AGE 7 YEARS
Vegetative Propagation
•3 MONTHS OLD
CONTANARIZED
CLONAL PLANT - READY •SEPARATE IDENTITY OF EACH
FOR PLANTING
CLONE IS MAINTAINED
Clonal Testing Area

Clonal Testing Area

Clone No. 271 in highly alkaline soils
Clonal Seed Orchard (CSO)
• Developed ‘Bhadrachalam’ Clonal
Seed Orchard on 1 ha. area, able to
collect genetically improved seeds &
supplying to entrepreneurs.
Hybridization
• Inter and Intra specific crossing
between E.tereticornis,
E.camaldulensis, E.urophylla,
E.grandis, E.torelliana, E.pallita and
E.alba.

• Short listed 30 promising hybrids.

Breeding
Orchard
Controlled Pollination
Advancements by Clonal
Technology
• Selection of Plus Trees
• Macro Propagation
• Clonal Testing
• Gene Bank
• Clonal Seed Orchards
• Advance Generation Breeding
CLONAL MULTIPLICATION AREA
• Ensuring the production of juvenile materials for
mass multiplication.
• Regular pruning of the ramets to remove old
branches and also to induce continuous
production of juvenile shoots.
• Application of commercial fertilizer rich in
nitrogen or organic fertilizer to the clones will
induce the production of more vegetative parts
in addition to maintaining the general health of
the clones.
SAND BED TECHNOLOGY
 DESIGNS FOR CMA
Sl.No Spacing Area Gestation period

1 1 x 1 mt. 4 ha 18 months

2 50 x 50 2 ha 6 months
Cm
3 High 0.8 ha 25 days
density
FARM FORESTRY PLANTATIONS MEAN A 
WIN WIN SITUATION FOR ALL

•  HIGHER ECONOMIC RETURNS FROM                  
                                         
   PLANTATIONS AND INTERCROPS
•  HUGE DOMESTICTIC VALUE ADDTION
•  SUSTATINED DEMAND FOR PLANTATION    
   WOOD
•  LARGE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
•  AMELIORATION OF ENVIRONMENT
•  CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY OF RICH    
 
    NATURAL FOREST