Field Performance of Five Tropical Dry Forest Tree Species Raised in Conventional and Deep Container Nursery Systems in Myanmar

This study provides a field evaluation of a deep container-based nursery system for tropical dry forest species. Deep containers are expected to improve seedling quality for dryland restoration, but their applicability to tropical dry forest species remains poorly documented. This study examined species-specific responses of five tropical dry forest species to two contrasting nursery systems, including a deep container system, under practical conditions. Five tropical dry forest species in Myanmar were raised in two nursery systems: conventional vinyl pots (18 cm depth) filled with soil-based media amended with manure and deep M-StAR containers (60 cm depth) filled with coconut peat and supplied with chemical fertilizer. Seedling morphology was assessed in the nursery, and survival and growth were monitored after outplanting. Seedlings raised in the deep container system exhibited substantially greater growth in the nursery phase across all species, attaining a several-fold larger size than conventional seedlings, and this size advantage persisted for 16 months after outplanting. However, higher survival was observed only for Tamarindus indica raised in this system (76%) compared with the conventional system (21%), whereas the other four species showed high survival (>80%) regardless of the nursery system. The observed benefits reflect the combined effects of the deep container system, and early post-planting survival may be species-specific and related to drought strategies.