The response of three Leucaena leucocephala cultivars to a four-cycle cutting frequency under rainfed dryland conditions in Zimbabwe

An experiment was conducted to investigate the relative ease of establishment and dry matter (DM) production of 3 Leucaena leucocephala cultivars (Cunningham, Hawaiian giant and Peru) grown on granite-derived sandy soil (pH 4.8 CaCl2) under low rainfall (average 600 mm per annum) conditions. Plants were first harvested after 9 months of primary growth and at 4-monthly intervals thereafter, by cutting back to 50 cm above ground-level. Cunningham was quicker to establish than Peru and Hawaiian giant as evidenced by greater DM production in the 9-month period following planting. With cutting at 4-monthly intervals thereafter, Peru produced only half as much dry matter as Cunningham and Hawaiian giant.