Trees of 21 species were grown in wetland rice field under farmers’ management,
including varying degrees of annual root pruning and top pruning to regulate impact on
understory crops. Tree height and girth were measured and pruning intensity was
observed twice annually. Rooting intensity of a few trees annually was observed by
trenching. The fastest-growing trees (mean annual increments in m^/ha at 100 trees/ha
and specified ages in brackets) were Gmelina arborea (10.5 at 6 yrs), Eucalyptus camaldulensis
(3.5 at 9 yrs), Faidherbia albida (1.6 at 9 yrs), Albizia saman (1.2 at 8 yrs), Melia azaderach (0.9
at 9 yrs), Cassia siamea (0.9 at 9 yrs), and Acacia mangium (0.8 at 7 yrs). Growth of most
tree species was slower on poor soil types and where vulnerable to flooding. On such
sites, E. camaldulensis, A. mangium, and Terminalia arjuna were less affected than other
species. Tree management by top and root pruning reduced overall growth by up to 19%
for gbh and 41% for volume, depending on intensity of pruning. Stand volume and mean
annual increment on an area basis in crop fields of average site quality were broadly
equivalent to forest plantations on average or poor sites.