Abstract:
Cinnamon is one of the most important export crops in Sri Lanka, which generates a considerable amount of
foreign exchange for the country. Therefore, special emphasis should be given to enhancing its production as well
as quality. Hence, the study was conducted to evaluate some important quantitative and qualitative aspects of the
cinnamon yield, namely, cumulative bark yield, bark dry matter percentage, biological yield, the composition of
the biological yield and organoleptic properties under some modified planting systems. Seedlings and vegetatively
propagated plants of cinnamon variety Sri Gemunu were planted under three different spatial patterns 1.2×0.6 m
with three plants per hill, 1.2×0.4 m with two plants per hill and 1.2×0.2 m with one plant per hill while
maintaining equal planting density in a unit area. Plants were harvested according to two harvesting intervals, 6
and 8 months and required measurements were taken. According to the results, the effect of harvesting interval
and the interaction effect between planting material and the spatial pattern was significant (p < 0.05) for the
cumulative cinnamon bark yield for two years (kg/ha). However, tested factors were not significant (p < 0.05) for
the bark dry matter percentage. In contrast, the effects of harvesting interval and planting materials were
significant (p < 0.05) for the biological yield of cinnamon plants. When considering the composition of the above ground biological yield of cinnamon plants, the interaction effect between planting material and the spatial
pattern was significant (p < 0.05) for the percentages of all components (bark, leaves, stem wood, scrape,
immature stems and the un-peelable portion of the mature stems and branches). Vegetatively propagated plants
consist of a higher bark oil content and a cinnamaldehyde percentage than seedlings. In contrast, seedlings consist
of higher eugenol and cinnamyl acetate percentage than vegetatively propagated plants. When considering benzyl
benzoate, β-linalool and β-caryophyllene, an impact from the tested factors was not observed.
