Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) Nielsen, also known as batay, is one of the most important pioneer multipurpose tree species in Indonesia. It is one of the tree species preferred for industrial forest plantations in Indonesia because of its very fast growth, its ability to grow on a variety of soils, its favourable silvicultural characteristics and its acceptable quality of wood for the panel and plywood industries. Paraserianthes falcataria plays an important role in both commercial and traditional farming systems in several sites in Indonesia.

This species, like other fast-growing tree species, is expected to become increasingly important for wood industries as...

Botanical name: Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) Nielsen

Family: Fabaceae

Subfamily: Mimosoideae

Synonyms: Adenanthera falcata Linn., Adenanthera falcataria Linn., Albizia falcata (L.) Backer, Albizia falcata sensu Backer, Albizia falcataria (L.) Fosberg, Albizia moluccana Miq., and Falcataria moluccana (Miq.) Barneby and J.W. Grimes (Soerianegara and Lemmens 1993).

Vernacular and common names:

Common names in Indonesia: jeungjing, sengon laut (Java); tedehu pute (Sulawesi); rare, selawoku, selawaku merah, seka, sika, sika bot, sikas, tawa sela (Maluku); bae, bai, wahogon, wai, wikkie (Papua) (Martawijaya et al. 1989).

Common names in other countries: puah (Brunei); albizia, batai, Indonesian albizia, moluca, paraserianthes, peacock plume, white albizia (England); kayu...

Paraserianthes falcataria trees start to flower as early as 3 years after planting. The flowering and fruiting seasons differ according to geographical location. Soerianegara and Lemmens (1993) reported 2 flowering periods per year for P. falcataria grown in Peninsula Malaysia and Sabah. Djogo (1997) reported the flowering time in Indonesia is between October to January and the best time to collect seeds is in July–August. In Hawaii, P. falcataria is reported to flower in April and May, with pods maturing in June to August, and in India, pods mature in May and June (Parrotta 1990). In general, ripe pods...

Paraserianthes falcataria seeds are usually sown by broadcasting in the seedbed. Before sowing, the soil should be sterilised to avoid damping-off. The seeds are pressed gently into the soil and then covered with a layer of fine sand up to 1.5 cm thick (Soerianegara and Lemmens 1993). The soil in the seedbed must be loose and well drained. Application of a surface layer of mulch is recommended, and excessive shading should be avoided. Germination usually takes places 5–10 days after sowing. Untreated seeds germinate irregularly; germination may start after 5–10 days but can be delayed for up to...

Paraserianthes falcataria plantations should be kept weed-free during the first 2 years. Weeding should be conducted after the first 2 months, and then at 3-month intervals. According to Anino (1997), lines 2 m wide should be totally cleared of weeds for about a year; thereafter, periodic vine-cutting ensures the saplings are free from noxious weeds. Prajadinata and Masano (1998) reported that, in Indonesia, weeding on P. falcataria is usually done 2–3 times in the first and second years after planting.

To improve the growth of P. falcataria, 100 g of NPK fertiliser (14:14:14) should be applied to each seedling,...

Paraserianthes falcataria can grow rapidly, particularly the young stands. Bhat et al. (1998) reported that, under favourable conditions, the trees can reach a height of 7 m in 1 year, 16 m in 3 years and 33 m in 9 years. Kurinobu et al. (2007a) reported that P. falcataria trees in 3–5-year-old stands growing in state-owned plantations in Kediri (East Java) have a mean diameter of 11.3–18.7 cm (maximum diameter 25.8 cm) with a mean height of 11.7–20.5 m (maximum height 23.5 m).

In our recent study of smallholder plantations in Ciamis (West Java), we recorded that...