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An Investigation Into the Suitability of Paulownia As an Agroforestry Species for UK & NW European Farming Systems

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An Investigation Into the Suitability of Paulownia As an Agroforestry Species for UK & NW European Farming Systems See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311558333 An investigation into the suitability of Paulownia as an agroforestry species for UK & NW European farming systems Thesis · May 2016 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31955.78882 CITATION READS 1 2,475 1 author: Janus Bojesen Jensen Coventry University 1 PUBLICATION 1 CITATION SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: An Exploration of the Potential of Quantum-Based Agriculture for Sustainable Global Food Production View project Quantum Agriculture View project All content following this page was uploaded by Janus Bojesen Jensen on 10 December 2016. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. An investigation into the suitability of Paulownia as an agroforestry species for UK & NW European farming systems Janus Bojesen Jensen, B.B.A. (Beirut) Submitted to the Department of Agriculture & Business Management, SRUC, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science SRUC, 2016 Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Jo Smith for her invaluable support and guidance throughout this project. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Lou Ralph and all the teaching staff at SRUC for my experience and learning as a student at SRUC over the last three years. Lastly, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to all the participants who were involved in this study and shared their time and knowledge with a particular acknowledgement to Dr. Ian Lane for all his contributions and for going the ‘extra country mile’ with me on two occasions. Declaration I declare that the work reported in this thesis was devised and carried out by myself, and has not been accepted in any previous application for a degree. All information drawn from other sources, and any assistance received has been acknowledged in the appropriate place. Summary The combined impacts of climate change, soil erosion, deforestation, pollution, population growth and resource depletion require urgent attention in instituting regenerative agricultural practices worldwide. This is particularly the case in NW Europe where the current farming paradigm is becoming obsolete due to pressures from many fronts. A new way forward has become necessary using agroecology wherein agroforestry is a key component. Paulownia species are indigenous to China and have been used as an agroforestry tree for over 2600 years due to their many positive attributes and multifaceted uses. Over the last four decades, the use of Paulownia intercropping systems have been established on up to three million hectares on the North China Plain and the species has been introduced as a plantation crop on all inhabited continents being one of fastest growing hardwood species in the world with up to six meters growth per year possible under optimal conditions. Paulownia, in particular P. tomentosa has been planted as an ornamental tree in NW Europe since the early 1800s but has not been considered as a possible commercial species in the region until the last few years. This study set out to explore whether Paulownia species could be suitable as an agroforestry species in intercropping systems on a field scale in NW Europe using methods consisting of literature review, secondary data analysis, and interviews with experts and growers. Furthermore, two case studies were carried out from existing commercial operations growing Paulownia in the focus area. Specific areas covered to assess suitability included a review of species and cultivars, ecological requirements, planting and growing techniques, invasiveness risk and market research into the timber product based on data from EU and abroad. In addition to the species assessment, a review was carried out identifying the main barriers to the adoption of agroforestry in NW Europe as part of a broader overview and analysing how Paulownia species could possibly have added advantages in overcoming some of these barriers. The results indicated that Paulownia species and hybrids could grow successfully as a commercial agroforestry crop in NW Europe based on data gathered from existing sites in the focus area established since 2009 where high survival rates and growth rates greater than 1 m per year were reported. No particular species or hybrid was identified as most suitable for agroforestry in the focus area but differences were confirmed depending on country of origin and propagation method. It was confirmed that species/hybrid selection, propagation method, site establishment, management practices in maintenance and pruning are critical factors to take into account in order to achieve timber of high quality. Research showed that there is presently no established market in NW Europe for the timber but that interest in the unique properties of the wood is increasing in EU and the potential exists for profitable niche market in the future in particular for slow grown wood to be sold either in Europe or overseas. The study concludes that Paulownia species’ actual performance under local field conditions, adaptability and its diverse products and services fulfil most of the attributes of an ideal agroforestry tree and has the potential to be used more widely in NW European farming systems with the recommendation that further field trials be carried out into finding the most suitable species/hybrids in addition to increased dissemination of knowledge to farmers about the species. Table of Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Rationale...................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Organic Context ............................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Literature Review............................................................................................................. 6 1.4.1 Paulownia Overview ................................................................................................. 6 1.4.2 Species and Cultivars ................................................................................................ 7 1.4.3 Paulownia Products and Services ............................................................................. 7 1.4.4 Ecological Requirements ........................................................................................ 11 1.4.5 Paulownia in Agroforestry ...................................................................................... 14 1.4.6 Planting and Growing Techniques .......................................................................... 17 1.4.7 Paulownia in NW Europe ....................................................................................... 22 1.5 Aims and Objectives ...................................................................................................... 22 1.6 Experimental Strategy .................................................................................................... 24 2 Materials and Methods .......................................................................................................... 26 2.1 Literature Review........................................................................................................... 27 2.2 Secondary Data Review ................................................................................................. 27 2.3 Interviews and Written Responses ................................................................................. 28 2.4 Case Studies ................................................................................................................... 33 3 Results .............................................................................................................................. 34 3.1 What are the suitable Paulownia species/hybrids that can be grown in agroforestry systems in NW Europe? ....................................................................................................... 57 3.2 What are the reasons why Paulownia has not gained widespread use in NW Europe on a commercial scale yet? ....................................................................................................... 60 3.3 What are the possible risks in planting Paulownia on a wide scale in NW Europe? ..... 66 3.4 Where are the locations growing Paulownia in NW Europe and what can be learned from these sites? ................................................................................................................... 69 3.5 Does a market for the yield (timber) currently exist in NW Europe? ....................... 86 3.6 What are the main factors preventing farmers from adopting agroforestry systems in NW Europe that Paulownia could mitigate? ........................................................................ 98 4 Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 107 4.1 What are the suitable Paulownia species/hybrids that can be grown in agroforestry systems in NW Europe? ..................................................................................................... 108 4.2 What are the reasons why Paulownia has not gained
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