| ROTATION
PERIOD
The age at final cut will depend on the stem form and diameter
but is expected to be between 25 and 30 years. Pandey (1996)
noted that the age of final harvest for teak differs among
countries and even among sites, varying from 25 to 80 years,
with an average of 50 years. But yield tables and the author's
personal observations have shown that in many African plantations
and also in Trinidad the growth of teak slows down after 25
years. Slower growth is favorable for formation of heartwood,
and dark color. As modern processing techniques allow the
use of smaller wood diameters, trees with a diameter at breast
height (DBH) of 35 to 45 cm after a 20-year rotation are acceptable
for cutting.
On some sites, however, the rotation period may be extended
if the growth patterns show a higher mean annual increment
(MAI) after the twenty-fifth year.
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