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.