Poplar
Populus deltoides
A fast-growing deciduous tree planted from Entire Transplants (ETPs) at 5 × 4 m and clear-felled in 5–7 years — the classic short-rotation agroforestry crop of the Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand tarai belt, sold to WIMCO, Trident and other plywood, matchbox and packing-wood mills under buy-back arrangements, with the choice of clone, the depth of pit-planting and the first two years of irrigation deciding whether the trees make premium peeler-grade logs.
Quick Summary
The key points from this page in about two minutes — read it or have it read aloud.
Quick Summary
Poplar (Populus deltoides) is a tall, fast-growing tree grown on farm land like a crop — you plant it once, keep it for five to seven years, and then fell the whole block for wood and replant. It is the main agroforestry tree of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand tarai and parts of Bihar, and it needs deep, well-drained soil and a reliable water supply.
Poplar is planted from Entire Transplants (ETPs) — one-year-old rooted plants raised in a nursery from stem cuttings and lifted bare-root in the leafless winter. You dig a deep pit (about 1 m deep so the whole ETP goes in), plant in January–February, and irrigate through the first two hot summers while the young tree puts down its roots and starts shooting. The tree can be grown alone or, more commonly, with a short intercrop (wheat, sugarcane, turmeric, potato, fodder) between the widely-spaced rows for the first two or three years, which pays for the block while the trees are still small.
Almost all farm poplar in India is sold to WIMCO Seedlings, Trident, Yamuna Gases, Greenply, Century Plyboards and local plywood, matchbox and packing-crate units, usually on a buy-back arrangement written at planting: the company supplies the ETPs and takes back the felled logs at a rate linked to girth and length. There is no Agmarknet mandi trade of significance and no MSP — the price a farmer gets depends on the clone, on how straight and how thick the trees have grown, and on the mill demand at the time of felling.
The single decision that changes everything is the clone. WIMCO-selected clones like G-48, Uday, Bahar, Kranti, W-22, W-32 and W-109 are the ones written into buy-back agreements; a random or unknown planting stock costs the same to grow and often does not fetch peeler-grade money at felling. After the clone, success comes down to the planting depth, the first two summers of irrigation and steady defoliator watch — poplar defoliator caterpillars (Clostera cupreata) can strip a young block in a single flush and set the trees back a full year.
- Crop type
- Deciduous short-rotation industrial tree (agroforestry)
- Season
- Planted in the leafless winter (January–February)
- Suitable states
- Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar
- Rotation length
- 5–7 years to clear-felling
- Water requirement
- High — assured canal or tubewell irrigation, especially first 2 summers
- Temperature
- Subtropical; needs a cool winter dormancy (below 10°C) and hot summer growth
- Soil type
- Deep sandy loam to loam, pH 6.5–8.0; never waterlogged or heavy clay
- Difficulty level
- Easy–moderate (defoliator and Apriona borer are the main watch)
- Expected yield
- 150–200 tonnes of green wood per acre over a 6-year rotation
- Key risk
- Planting an unbranded clone that misses peeler-grade prices at felling
Overview
Poplar (Populus deltoides), locally called safeda in some belts, is a tall, fast-growing deciduous tree grown as a 5–7 year short-rotation crop on farm land across Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand tarai and Bihar. It is the largest farm-grown industrial tree in northern India, planted from ETPs (Entire Transplants) at a wide 5 × 4 m or 5 × 5 m spacing — about 200–250 trees per acre — with a short intercrop between the rows in the first two or three years.
What makes poplar a real farm crop and not a forestry planting is the buy-back model. WIMCO Seedlings started this arrangement in the 1980s, and today WIMCO, Trident, Yamuna Gases, Greenply, Century Plyboards and many local plywood, matchbox and packing-crate units supply the ETPs at planting and take the felled logs back at a fixed rate linked to girth-class. This means a farmer has a market written down before the trees even go in, which no other tree crop of this rotation length offers.
The clone decides the sale price. WIMCO/FRI/PFRI-selected clones — G-48 (Kranti), Uday, Bahar, W-22, W-32, W-109 and a few newer ones — are the ones the industry recognises and pays peeler-grade rates for. Bulk unbranded planting material costs the same to grow but does not command the same rate at felling. After the clone, the two things that decide whether a poplar block reaches its full potential are pit depth at planting (the whole ETP should go in) and irrigation through the first two hot summers — a dried-out young block never catches up.
Crop timeline, sowing to harvest
A quick visual map of the season — jump to any section below for the detail behind each stage.
- Year 0 (Jan–Feb)
ETP planting
One-year-old bare-root Entire Transplants of a named clone are planted in deep (about 1 m) auger-dug pits at 5 × 4 m or 5 × 5 m, and irrigated in.
- Year 1
Establishment & first intercrop
Young trees put out shoots in March–April; wheat, sugarcane, turmeric or potato is grown between the rows. Defoliator watch begins from the first flush.
- Year 2–3
Rapid height gain, intercropping continues
Trees put on 3–5 m of height a year; the last shade-tolerant intercrop (turmeric, ginger, fodder) is usually taken this year before the canopy closes.
- Year 3–4
Girth build-up
Height slows and girth builds — the phase that decides the peeler-grade class at felling. Pruning of low side branches (up to about 6 m) gives clean, knot-free logs.
- Year 5–7
Clear felling
The whole block is clear-felled in the leafless winter (December–February) and lifted to a WIMCO/Trident/plywood mill under the buy-back agreement, or sold to a local peeling unit by log girth and length.
- Year 7+
Replanting or crop return
The stumps are removed and the field replanted with fresh ETPs the same winter, or returned to seasonal cropping — a poplar block does not coppice usefully for a second rotation.
Suitable states
States where this crop is grown at scale, highlighted below. Your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra is still the final word for your specific block.
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Himachal Pradesh
- Punjab
- Uttarakhand
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- West Bengal
- Sikkim
- Assam
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
- Manipur
- Mizoram
- Tripura
- Gujarat
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Maharashtra
- Odisha
- Goa
- Telangana
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
- Puducherry
- Ladakh
- Chandigarh
- Lakshadweep
Grown here
Climate requirements
The poplar belt (Punjab, Haryana, western UP, Uttarakhand tarai, Bihar) is defined almost exactly by three things together: a cool winter, a hot summer, and assured irrigation. Poplar grown outside this combination almost always disappoints.
Ideal temperature
Poplar is a subtropical tree that needs a real cool-winter dormancy (below about 10°C) to drop its leaves and rest, and a long hot summer with day temperatures of 30–40°C to put on growth. This is why it does so well in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and the Uttarakhand tarai, and poorly in humid tropical or hill climates.
Rainfall
Around 800–1500 mm a year suits it, but rainfall alone is never enough — every farm poplar block in India runs on canal or tubewell irrigation on top of the monsoon. The tree wants water available almost continuously in the growing season and will slow badly if it is starved.
Humidity
Prefers dry to moderate humidity. High humidity together with dense planting is exactly where leaf rust and shot-hole build up — proper spacing and pruning of the lower canopy are the main defence.
Sunlight
Full sun once past the seedling stage. Poplar is a light-demanding pioneer species — it will not tolerate shade, which is why the intercrop must be shifted out by year 3 as the canopy closes.
Soil requirements
Check the water table before planting — poplar wants moisture but not standing water. A water table between 1.5 m and 3 m is ideal; above 1 m usually rots the roots.
Suitable soil
Deep, well-drained sandy loam to loam is ideal — the same alluvial soil that grows the region's wheat and sugarcane. Poplar will not do well on heavy clay that holds water, on shallow soil over hardpan, on saline or strongly alkaline (usar) patches, or on ground with a very high water table where the roots cannot go down.
pH range
Best at pH 6.5–8.0; tolerates the mildly alkaline soils common in the Indo-Gangetic plain.
Drainage
Free-draining soil is essential. Waterlogging even for a few days kills roots, and a block planted in a low, water-collecting corner of the farm will always underperform the rest.
Organic matter
Responds well to organic matter. Farmyard manure worked into the pit at planting, and the tree's own leaf fall left as mulch each autumn, build the soil the block feeds on.
Land preparation
Same four steps whichever region you are in — only the timing shifts with the sowing window.
- 1
Mark the grid and auger-dig deep pits
A 5 × 4 m grid (about 200 trees per acre) is the standard block layout; 5 × 5 m (160/acre) is used where a longer intercrop is planned, and 3 × 3 m closer stands are used for pulp/biomass. Dig pits about 1 m deep and 30 cm across with a tractor-mounted auger a few weeks ahead of planting.
- 2
Fill the pit with topsoil and manure
Refill the pit with topsoil mixed with 8–10 kg well-rotted farmyard manure and 100 g single super phosphate; in termite-prone belts mix in a recommended soil insecticide (chlorpyriphos granules or a Metarhizium bio-formulation).
- 3
Order named-clone ETPs from a WIMCO-linked nursery
Book Entire Transplants — one-year-old bare-root plants of G-48, Uday, Bahar, Kranti, W-22, W-32 or W-109 — from a WIMCO/Trident/FRI-linked or reputed private nursery in November–December for lifting and planting in January–February. Reject bent, undersized or unlabelled stock.
Seed information
How the main varieties compare, so you can pick by duration, yield, disease pressure or what you are growing for.
| Variety | Duration | Yield | Disease resistance | Best state | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The workhorse WIMCO/FRI clone across Punjab, Haryana and western UP — straight, fast-growing, well-suited to plywood and peeler-log demand. Widely bought back by WIMCO and Trident under formal agreements. | 5–6 year rotation | High; good peeler-grade log recovery | Moderate; defoliator and leaf rust watch needed | Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh | Plywood, peeler logs, matchbox, packing crates |
A WIMCO-selected clone known for straight bole and clean growth in the tarai belt of Uttarakhand and adjoining UP. A common alternative to G-48 in buy-back plantings. | 5–7 year rotation | High, consistent with G-48 under good irrigation | Moderate; standard defoliator management | Uttarakhand, western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab | Plywood, peeler logs, packing wood |
Another leading WIMCO clone used across the north Indian poplar belt, valued for its uniform growth and suitability to the matchbox industry that the company historically served. | 5–7 year rotation | High | Moderate | Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand | Matchbox, plywood, packing wood |
One of the early WIMCO-numbered clones still in commercial planting — well-tested, familiar to farmers and nurseries, and reliably accepted at buy-back mills. | 5–6 year rotation | High | Moderate; keep defoliator in check | Punjab, Haryana, western UP | Plywood, matchbox, packing crates |
A WIMCO clone widely grown in the tarai and central Punjab, valued for straight boles and uniform girth build-up in years 3–5, which are decisive for peeler-grade grading at felling. | 5–7 year rotation | High | Moderate | Uttarakhand tarai, Punjab, Haryana | Plywood, peeler logs |
A later WIMCO-numbered clone used on farm plantings across the Indo-Gangetic plain — grown for the same peeler and packing-wood markets, with good early vigour and clean stem form. | 5–7 year rotation | High | Moderate | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar | Plywood, peeler logs, packing wood |
Numbered clones released by the Punjab Forest Research Institute (Hoshiarpur) for the Punjab and adjoining north-Indian farm-forestry sector. Sold through PFRI-linked nurseries as an alternative to WIMCO clones for farmers not on a company buy-back. | 5–7 year rotation | High under Punjab canal-irrigated conditions | Moderate; monitor for defoliator | Punjab, Haryana | Plywood, peeler logs, packing wood, general timber sale |
- Seed rate
- Poplar is planted from vegetative material only — Entire Transplants (ETPs, one-year-old bare-root nursery plants raised from stem cuttings) or, less commonly, direct stem cuttings and long-shoot cuttings. Plan for about 200 ETPs per acre at 5 × 4 m for the standard block; 160/acre at 5 × 5 m for longer intercropping; up to 400–500/acre at closer 3 × 3 m for pulp and biomass stands.
- Certified seed
- Buy ETPs of a named clone (G-48, Uday, Bahar, Kranti, W-22, W-32, W-109 or a state-released PFRI clone) from a WIMCO Seedlings, Trident, FRI Dehradun or PFRI Hoshiarpur-linked nursery — or a reputed private nursery working with them. Bulk unlabelled stock costs the same to grow but does not fetch buy-back or peeler-grade prices at felling. Reject any lot with bent stems, shrivelled bark, black root tips or evidence of leaf-rust on the previous season's shoots.
- Spacing
- 5 × 4 m (about 200 trees/acre) is the standard commercial spacing; 5 × 5 m (160/acre) gives more room and a longer intercropping window; 3 × 3 m (about 450/acre) is used for pulp and biomass plantings where log girth matters less.
- Seed treatment
- ETPs are lifted bare-root in the leafless winter. Trim any damaged root tips, and dip the whole root system in a slurry of cow-dung + clay + a recommended fungicide (Bavistin or Trichoderma) before planting. Plant the same day the ETPs are lifted, or heel them in moist soil till planted.
Sowing guide
The pit must be deep enough to bury the ETP up to the level it was growing at in the nursery — a shallow-planted poplar leans, dries out and either dies or gives a bent bole that is downgraded at felling.
- Best time
- Plant in January or February, when the ETP is fully leafless and dormant. This is the only planting window that works — spring-planted or leafed-out stock rarely establishes.
- Row spacing
- 5 m between rows for peeler blocks; 3 m for pulp/biomass
- Plant spacing
- 4 m in the row for the standard 5 × 4 grid; 5 m for a wider intercropping layout
- Sowing depth
- Set the ETP so the whole one-year-old rooted plant goes into the auger pit and only about 15–30 cm of the top shoot is above ground — deep-planting is what keeps the tree upright in wind and gives it root moisture for the first summer
- Method
- One ETP per pit, held straight while the pit is refilled with the topsoil–manure mix, then firmed with the heel. Irrigate immediately after planting and again 4–7 days later.
Fertilizer schedule
A split dose beats one large dose applied at sowing — nitrogen especially is lost to the air and to leaching if it all goes in on day one.
- 1
At planting (basal)
Year 0
8–10 kg well-rotted farmyard manure plus 100 g single super phosphate mixed into each pit; no heavy nitrogen on the freshly planted ETP.
- 2
Young trees
Years 1–2, split in the growing season
About 100–150 g urea, 50 g SSP and 50 g MOP per tree per year, given in two splits at the first irrigation of March–April and again in July, worked into a shallow basin around the trunk.
- 3
Established block
Year 3 onward, yearly
Roughly 200–300 g N, 100 g P2O5 and 100 g K2O per tree per year (about 100:50:50 kg/ha at 200 trees/acre), applied in a ring at the drip-line just before the pre-monsoon growth flush; a fresh dose of FYM or compost helps on lighter soils.
Irrigation schedule
1. Establishment
First 2 summers
Irrigate every 7–10 days from March through June in the first two years — this is the period that decides whether the young block ever catches up to the standard 6-year rotation. Where the intercrop is a heavy water user (sugarcane, potato) its own irrigation covers the trees.
2. Growing block
Year 3 onward
Ten to fifteen day irrigation cycles through the hot months, roughly 8–12 irrigations a year outside the monsoon. A well-run poplar block on canal or tubewell water uses about 1200–1500 mm per year of applied irrigation on top of rainfall.
3. Winter dormancy
December–February
Little to no irrigation while the trees are leafless and dormant — resume with the pre-flush watering in late February or early March.
Critical stages
- First 2 summers after planting
- March–April spring flush
- Hot pre-monsoon months (May–June)
Water-saving tips
- Grow a short intercrop (wheat, sugarcane, potato, turmeric, berseem) in the first 2–3 years — its own irrigation cycle keeps the young poplar watered without a separate cost.
- A basin or ring-bund around each young tree in the first two years concentrates surface irrigation over the root zone and cuts wastage.
- Leave the poplar's own autumn leaf fall as mulch in the row — it holds moisture and slowly builds the soil the block feeds on.
Weed management
Common weeds
Organic control
- Two or three hand or hoe weedings a year in a 1 m circle around each young tree for the first two years is usually enough — after that the canopy shades most weeds out.
- Growing a competitive intercrop (wheat, berseem, sugarcane) between the rows for the first 2–3 years both earns money and keeps the ground covered against weeds.
- Slash Lantana and Parthenium before they seed and spread the slashings as mulch around the tree base to smother the next flush.
Chemical control
- Weed control in years 1–2 is mostly by the intercrop's own weeding programme, plus manual hoeing in a basin around each tree.
- A directed pre- or post-emergence herbicide cleared for plantation crops can be used along the tree row in a large block, kept off the young poplar bark.
- Confirm any herbicide and its dose with your state agriculture university or KVK before spraying near young trees.
Nutrient deficiency identification
What a shortage of each nutrient actually looks like on the plant, so you can tell a deficiency apart from a disease before you spray the wrong thing.
Nitrogen
Visible symptom
Pale, yellow-green older leaves, short internodes and a thin, slow annual height flush in an otherwise healthy block.
Phosphorus
Visible symptom
Slow establishment of the ETP in the first year, poor root and side-root spread, and dull, purpled older leaves on the young tree.
Potassium
Visible symptom
Scorched brown leaf margins, weak bark and thin-walled shoots that bend or break in wind — worst on light sandy soil with no leaf-mulch return.
Diseases to watch for
Symptoms, likely cause and what actually treats it — not just a spray name.
Leaf rust
- Symptoms
- Bright orange-yellow powdery pustules on the underside of leaves through the monsoon and post-monsoon months, with matching yellowish spots on the upper leaf surface; badly hit leaves dry and drop early, and the block loses growth in a bad year.
- Cause
- Melampsora rust fungi (M. medusae, M. ciliata), favoured by dense canopies, humid weather and susceptible clones.
- Treatment
- Rake up and remove heavily infected fallen leaves; a mancozeb or propiconazole spray on the lower canopy can be justified on a young, high-value block in a bad year — confirm current recommendation with your state forest research institute.
- Prevention
- Grow rust-tolerant clones from a WIMCO/PFRI-linked nursery, keep to recommended spacing, prune the lower canopy for airflow, and clear leaf litter from around young blocks.
Poplar bacterial canker
- Symptoms
- Sunken, elongated, cracked cankers on young shoots, side branches and, over time, the main trunk, with a slimy creamy-white or brown ooze leaking from them in the first warm-wet spring weather; repeated die-back of shoot tips and a knotted, deformed section of trunk where old cankers have healed over crookedly.
- Cause
- The bacterium Xanthomonas populi, most often brought into a fresh block on infected cuttings or ETPs lifted from a diseased mother block; spread short distances on the live block by rain-splash, unclean tools and, once cankers ooze, by visiting insects.
- Treatment
- There is no cure spray for tissue already cankered. Cut affected shoots and branches back to clean healthy wood in the cool dry months and burn the trimmings; paint fresh cuts with Bordeaux paste, and protect the new spring flush with a copper spray to stop fresh infection through wounds.
- Prevention
- The biggest single control is where the ETPs come from — plant only canker-free ETPs from a WIMCO/PFRI-linked or state-forest nursery, and grow tolerant clones. Prune in the dry season with disinfected tools, seal every cut, and control Apriona stem borer promptly so borer wounds do not open the way for the bacterium.
Die-back
- Symptoms
- Drying-back of shoots and branches from the tip inward, with dry, sunken, discoloured bark patches and no oozing slime (unlike bacterial canker); badly hit young trees die outright.
- Cause
- Botryodiplodia, Cytospora and related wound-invading fungi, entering through pruning cuts, sun-scorch cracks and defoliator/borer wounds, especially on stressed or water-starved blocks.
- Treatment
- Cut affected branches back to healthy wood and burn the trimmings; paint the fresh cut with Bordeaux paste or a recommended wound sealant. A block dying back widely is usually a symptom of water stress or borer attack — fix that first.
- Prevention
- Prune only in the cool dry months with clean tools, protect every cut, avoid water stress in the first two summers, and control defoliator and Apriona borer promptly so they do not open the entry wounds these fungi need.
Pests to watch for
What to look for before the damage is visible, and organic options before you reach for a chemical.
Poplar defoliator (leaf-eating caterpillar)
- Identification
- Green-and-yellow caterpillars (Clostera cupreata, and the related Pygaera fulgurita) feeding in groups on the leaves through the monsoon and post-monsoon months; a heavy flush can strip a young tree in a few days.
- Damage
- Repeat defoliation in the first two or three years directly cuts the block's annual height and girth flush and can set the rotation back by a full year; older trees usually recover but grow more slowly.
- Organic control
- Hand-collect and destroy egg masses and the first small caterpillar groups from young trees; conserve birds and predatory bugs; spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki) or a neem-based formulation at the young-caterpillar stage.
- Chemical control
- A CIB&RC-registered contact insecticide (a synthetic pyrethroid or a chlorantraniliprole formulation) spot-sprayed on infested young trees at the first egg-hatch, before the caterpillars scatter and grow large; confirm the current product with your KVK or state forest department.
Poplar stem borer (Apriona)
- Identification
- A mound or wet mass of coarse, chewed-out frass pushed out of a bore hole on the bark within the first few metres of the trunk, with fresh sap oozing from the same hole in the monsoon growing season; the greyish-brown adult long-horned beetle (Apriona cinerea) on the trunk from June to September.
- Damage
- The grub tunnels for more than a year up through the sapwood and heartwood, breaking the peeler-grade continuity of the log; even a moderate attack downgrades a WIMCO/Trident buy-back tree from peeler to packing-wood grade, and heavy attack kills the whole tree.
- Organic control
- Walk the block every 15–20 days from June to September for fresh frass and sap flow; on any fresh bore hole, insert a stiff wire, bicycle spoke or clutch cable into the tunnel to mechanically kill the grub. Remove and burn any dead or beyond-recovery poplar and dead mulberry (an alternate host) in and around the block.
- Chemical control
- Plug each fresh bore hole with cotton wool soaked in kerosene or a CIB&RC-registered insecticide (e.g. dichlorvos) and seal with clay to hold the fumes; a June–July trunk swab or spray on the lower 3–4 m with a recommended contact insecticide cuts fresh egg-laying. Confirm the current product with FRI Dehradun or your KVK.
Termites
- Identification
- Mud sheeting on the trunk and cut stumps, with the soft inner bark and root collar eaten away; worst on freshly planted ETPs, on sandy soils, and in dry belts.
- Damage
- Termites can kill freshly planted ETPs before they root, girdle young trees at the collar, and eat the roots of stressed older trees; they also destroy stored logs after felling.
- Organic control
- Plant into a well-decomposed pit (fresh undecomposed manure attracts termites), drench the pit with a Metarhizium bio-insecticide at planting, keep the field clear of dead wood, and stack felled logs off the ground.
- Chemical control
- Mix a recommended soil insecticide (chlorpyriphos granules or emulsion) into the pit at planting in known termite-prone belts, and drench around the collar of any affected young tree.
Aphids
- Identification
- Small soft-bodied insects clustering on tender young shoots and the underside of new leaves in the spring flush; sticky honeydew and later black sooty mould on the leaves below the colony.
- Damage
- Sap loss weakens the spring flush and stunts young trees; sooty mould reduces photosynthesis. Usually a nuisance rather than a major loss on an established block.
- Organic control
- Strong water sprays on colonies on young trees, neem oil sprays, and conserving ladybird beetles and lacewings by avoiding routine broad-spectrum spraying.
- Chemical control
- A CIB&RC-registered systemic insecticide only where colonies are heavy on a young block; rotate modes of action and avoid repeat calendar sprays.
Common mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost growers the most, ranked by how often they show up in the field — not in the order you might expect.
- 1
Planting unlabelled or non-clonal ETPs to save money on planting material.
Why it hurts
The block costs exactly the same to grow for six years but is refused or heavily discounted at buy-back mills — the whole margin depends on the trees being of a named, recognised clone.
- 2
Shallow-planting the ETP so most of the one-year plant is above ground.
Why it hurts
A shallow-planted poplar leans in wind, dries out in its first summer, and either dies or gives a bent bole that is downgraded from peeler to packing-wood at felling.
- 3
Skipping irrigation in the first two summers.
Why it hurts
A dried-out young block never catches up — trees carry a permanent height and girth deficit through the rest of the rotation, and the final wood recovery is far below what the same clone gives under proper watering.
- 4
Ignoring the first defoliator flush.
Why it hurts
Poplar defoliator caterpillars work in groups and can strip a young tree in a few days; a block hit and left untreated in years 1–3 loses a full year of the rotation.
- 5
Not pruning lower side branches.
Why it hurts
Un-pruned trees give knot-full logs that are downgraded from peeler-grade to packing-wood grade at the mill — a formal pruning of side branches up to about 6 m in years 2–3 pays back sharply at felling.
- 6
Planting on a low, water-logging corner of the farm.
Why it hurts
Poplar roots die in standing water; a block on a low spot underperforms the rest of the field for the whole 6-year rotation, however well the rest is managed.
Harvesting
Clear-fell the whole block in the leafless dormant winter, roughly December to February of year 5, 6 or 7 depending on the clone, the irrigation the block has received, and the girth-class the buy-back mill is paying for at the time. Trees are felled at ground level so no useful bole length is lost.
Signs it is ready
- Trees have reached the girth-class (typically 60–90 cm circumference at breast height) the buy-back agreement is written for
- The whole block has slowed its annual girth gain year-on-year, indicating full commercial size
- A mill or trader is quoting a favourable rate for the coming winter
Tools
- Chainsaw or two-person crosscut saw for felling and cross-cutting
- Tractor-trolley or truck for transporting the logs
- Debarking hand tool for on-farm log cleaning where the mill asks for it
Expected yield
A well-managed 6-year block at 200 trees/acre on the clones and irrigation the industry expects gives roughly 150–200 tonnes of green wood per acre (about 25–35 tonnes per acre per year annualised over the rotation). The rupee return depends on the girth-class the trees have reached — peeler-grade logs from a WIMCO-clone block fetch a sharp premium over packing-wood grade from the same field.
Post-harvest & storage
Storage
Felled poplar logs are heavy, moist and lose value fast — dispatch to the mill within a few weeks. If they must be held, stack them off the ground on cross-battens under shade to slow blue-stain fungus and prevent Apriona borer entry, and keep them clear of termite mounds.
Packaging
Logs are sold by measured girth-class and length. Sort into girth-classes at the field, mark each log with the mill's tag if a buy-back agreement is in place, and load in matched-length bundles for road transport.
Transportation
Poplar grown on private, non-forest land is a farm tree, not a forest tree — the National Agroforestry Policy and repeated central and state notifications since 2014 have progressively de-regulated the felling and transit of farm-grown poplar. Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have all issued state orders exempting or greatly simplifying felling and transit permits for poplar and other listed species on private land, but the exact list and paperwork differ by state and change over time — confirm the current position with your state forest department (Range Officer or nearest DFO office) before you fell or move logs.
Shelf life
Green logs must be moved to the mill within a few weeks. Sawn timber, once processed, is used mostly for plywood, matchbox veneer, packing crates and light furniture — none of which require long on-farm storage.
Market prices
Today's mandi price near you, pulled live from the government's own Agmarknet data.
Live daily mandi prices from the government Agmarknet dataset.
Government mandi price not available for this crop
This crop is not traded through APMC mandis covered by the government’s Agmarknet system, so there is no mandi price to show here.
Weather
Current conditions and a 5-day outlook for your selected location, with one line of stage-aware advice.
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Live data from Open-Meteo
Profit calculator
Your own cost sheet, expected yield and selling price — not ours.
Where the money goes
Share of the total cost per acre, using the calculator’s own default cost sheet below — adjust the numbers there to match your field and this picture will no longer apply to you exactly, but the ranking rarely changes.
- Land rent28% (₹9,000)
- Labour25% (₹8,000)
- Seed12% (₹4,000)
- Irrigation12% (₹4,000)
- Fertiliser9% (₹3,000)
- Pesticide & weedicide5% (₹1,500)
- Machinery5% (₹1,500)
- Interest5% (₹1,500)
Official downloads
Government and ICAR documents only — everything below is hosted on an official server.
Frequently asked questions
What is a WIMCO / Trident buy-back agreement, and is it worth signing?
It is a written arrangement, typically for a 5–7 year rotation, in which a company (WIMCO Seedlings, Trident, Yamuna Gases, Century Plyboards and similar plywood, matchbox and packing-wood units) supplies the named-clone ETPs at planting and takes the felled logs back at a rate linked to girth-class. For most farmers, it is worth signing because it locks in both the planting material and the market for a crop that has no MSP and almost no mandi trade — but read the fine print on girth-class rates, rejection criteria and who pays for lifting the logs, and confirm the company is currently buying in your district before signing.
Do I need a permit to fell and transport poplar grown on my farm?
Poplar grown on private, non-forest land is a farm tree, and central and state agroforestry notifications since 2014 have progressively de-regulated its felling and transit. Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have all issued state orders exempting or greatly simplifying felling and transit permits for poplar and a listed set of other species on private land, but the exact list, paperwork and fees differ by state and change from time to time — always confirm the current rules with your state forest department (Range Officer or the nearest DFO office) before you fell or move logs.
Which clone should I plant?
For a buy-back planting, take whichever named clone (G-48, Uday, Bahar, Kranti, W-22, W-32 or W-109) the company you are signing with is currently supplying and paying for — they will not pay peeler-grade rates for an unrelated planting. For a non-contract planting, G-48 (Kranti) and Uday remain the most widely accepted clones across Punjab, Haryana and western UP, and PFRI-released clones are a good state-supported option in Punjab.
What can I intercrop between poplar rows?
A short intercrop is standard practice for the first 2–3 years while the canopy is still open. Wheat, sugarcane, turmeric, ginger, potato, berseem and other fodders all work — wheat in winter and a summer crop that shares the tree's irrigation is the most common combination in Punjab and western UP. From year 3–4 the closing canopy shades most intercrops out and the field is left to the trees.
Is there an MSP or mandi price for poplar?
No. Poplar is not a CACP-notified commodity and does not have an MSP, and there is no meaningful Agmarknet mandi trade in poplar wood. Every farm block is sold either under a buy-back agreement with WIMCO, Trident, Greenply, Century Plyboards or a similar mill, or to a local plywood, matchbox or packing-wood unit by tonnage and girth-class. The rate is decided by the clone, the girth-class the trees have reached at felling, and mill demand at the time.
How much wood does one acre of poplar give in a 6-year rotation?
A well-managed block of 200 trees per acre on a named clone with proper irrigation gives roughly 150–200 tonnes of green wood per acre over a 6-year rotation — about 25–35 tonnes per acre per year annualised. The rupee return depends far more on the girth-class the trees reach (peeler-grade vs packing-wood) than on the raw tonnage, which is why clone choice and pruning matter as much as the total yield figure.
Still have questions?
The FAQs above cover the common ones. For anything specific to your field and soil, your nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra is the authoritative answer.