Overgrazed rangeland (200 mm annual rain)  has been planted with Pinus halepensis and Acacia saligna in 1983 as part of a “green belt” concept against desert encroachment. A first evaluation was carried out in 1996. The plantings survived because they were government plantations. The overall coverage was estimated at 50 to 65% Pinus reached a mean height of 3.8 m and a stem diameter (DBH) of  4.5 cm varying with slope position. The Acacia trees were smaller (2.6 m) but had a larger crown coverage (20 against 5.4 m2) and a thicker stem diameter. The planted and protected area had a denser ground cover than the area unprotected against grazing (64 against 13 g/m2). Weight contribution of different species is provided. An enrichment in C of the soil under the plantation was estimated but was not statistically significant. A positive effect of the plantation is seen in the protection and the consequently denser cover of the ground vegetation.

Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) is a valuable commercial timber species which always faces a serious threat from leaf skeletonizer, Eutectona machaeralis and defoliator, Hyblaea puera. Selection of resistant teak clones on the basis of foliar defensive biochemicals is a very new approach of controlling this problem. In the studies carried out, 167 clones of teak belonging to ten states of India, introduced and planted during the years 1979-84 at National Teak Germ Plasm Bank, Chandrapur (Maharashtra) were considered as experimental host plants to evaluate resistant teak clones. In field, quantitative assessment of the severity of the damage was made by rating infested leaves visually on the basis of percentage of affected leaves individually in all four directions of all the clones. On the basis of visual observations, the clones were categorized into 9 groups, viz., most resistant, highly resistant, resistant, moderately resistant, least resistant, moderately susceptible, susceptible, highly susceptible and most susceptible. Some clones from each category were randomly selected for further confirmation of resistance against leaf skeletonizer and defoliator. In laboratory, feeding bioassay through no-choice and choice tests was carried out. Chemical screening of the contributory leaves of respective clones was also done. On the basis of data on leaf area consumed and foliar constituents, some resistant teak clones were identified. The inference drawn can be used as a screening criterion for selection of teak clones resistant to E. machaeralis and H. puera to large-scale plantation programmes.