Abstract

RAMIREZ-GARCIA, Celene; VERA-CASTILLO, Gil; CARRILLO-ANZURES, Fernando  and  MAGANA-TORRES, Octavio Salvador. Red cedar (Cedrela odorata L.) as reconversion alternative of agricultural lands in the south of Tamaulipas. Agric. Téc. Méx [online]. 2008, vol.34, n.2, pp.243-250. ISSN 0568-2517.

The productive reconversion implies to modify the pattern of traditional production, through the establishment of alternative crops with higher agronomic viability, economic profitability and social viability. A reconversion option is the establishment of forest plantations. The objective of this work was to determine the feasibility of converting abandoned agricultural lands in commercial forest plantations, the study was conduced from 2000-2003. This feasibility was determined through the assessment of the survival, growth, health and vigour of a plantation of red cedar (Cedrela odorata L.) located in the Ejido Doroteo Arango, Tamaulipas. At three years of established the plantation, a survival of 93%, a growth diameter average of 1.72 cm and 1.46 m in height was found. Although attack of Hypsipyla grandella, 90.3% were healthy trees and the proportion of vigorous trees was 84.36%. The obtained values of survival, growth, sanity and vigour of the assessed plantation show that the red cedar has a good adaptation and growth; this allow to affirm that the establishment of commercial forest plantations of cedar in the south of Tamaulipas is a good option for abandoned agricultural lands.

Keywords : Cedrela odorata L.; reconversion alternative; forest comercial plantations; growth.