Poplar (Populus deltoides) Farming

Populus deltoides is the most popular poplar of India. Out of six indigenous and eight Indianized (exotic) poplars this is commercially most important one since this is a multipurpose species and can be grown on shorter rotations. This species came to India very recently (in fifties) either directly from USA or via Europe and has adapted to North Indian climate so well that thousands of hectares of forest as well as farmers’ land have been occupied in only four decades in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. This has now become most important part of agroforestry systems of these states and is at the verge of almost replacing the controversial eucalyptus on farmers’ land.