Silviculture of Indian Trees
• Common Trees
TRS
July 2020
1. Acacia catechu
Introduction
1. Nomenclature
S. Name
Acacia catechu
English
Local
Name
Name
Cutch Tree Khair
Family
Fabaceae
(Mimosoideae)
2. Distribution
3. Forest Types
▪ Pan India in hot and dry areas except temperate &
humid
▪ A. catechu ----NI (JK to BI)
▪ A. catchuoides-----EI/SI (AS/SK/KA/ Nilgiris )
▪ A. sundra…………..WI (Western Indian Peninsula)
▪ Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests in HP
▪ Khair-sissoo forests
▪ Southern Thorn Forests
▪ Ravine Thorn forests
▪ Very Dry teak forests
4. Phenology
Life Cycle ▪ Flowering : June-July
▪ Fruit/Pod Ripening : Nov-Jan : 4500 pod = 1 Kg; 40000 seeds = 1 Kg
▪ Pods dried in Sun, beaten with sticks to give seeds
▪ Seeds separated by Shaking / Winnowing
▪ Seed viability = 6-8 month
▪ Germination = 70-80 %
▪ Pre-sowing Treatment : Sulphuric acid
or soaking in water at room T for 24 hrs
▪ Flowers in rainy season and fruits in winter
Phenology
Morphology Appearance
Moderate-sized tree with 10-12 m.
height.
Height
10-12 m
Root
Tap Root System
Stem/Branches Bark- dark grayish-brown, nearly 1.5 cm
in thickness, exfoliating in long narrow
strips. Sapwood yellowish white but
heartwood red
Leaves
Pinnate with a pair of recurred prickles
at base of rachis; pinnate 40-80; leaflets
60-100, small, ligulae.
Flower
pale yellow in cylindrical—spikes;
Fruit
Flat brown pods, glabrous, lustrous,
straight, strap-shaped, dark brown
Seed
4-8 per pod
5. Silvicultural Characters
Light
Strong Light Demander
Temperature
Seedling Frost tender otherwise frost hardy
Soil
Best growth in loose soil,alluvial,8.3 pH Alkaline
Moisture
Dry conditions/Drought resistant
Aspect
Northern
Fire
Resistant at tree stage
Grazing
Browse susceptible
Diseases
Insect/ Fungi : Root rot & die back in dry cond.
Rate of Growth ▪ Fast growing
▪ Sowing : 30-60 cm in 1st & 120 cm in 2nd season
▪ NR : 30 cm in 4 th growing season
▪ Plantation data :▪ 10yrs (Age) ---11.27m (Ht)----12.2 cm (Dia)
▪ 20…………………16………………….19
▪ 40…………………20……………………25
▪ 60………………..21……………………30
6. Natural Regeneration (NR)
Status
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Seed years
Frequent
Plus tree
Dia/age/form : 25-30 cm/30 yrs/Clean bole
Starts in Rainy season
Requires complete overhead light
Profuse by seed : wind & water
Good by Coppice , coppices to 40 cm dbh
Seed viability 6-8 month
Technique
Protect from Fire/grazing & weeds
Constraints
Protection Issues
7. Artificial Regeneration (AR)
Seed collection Pods collected off trees in December and seed dried
Seed viability ▪ 6-8 month
& treatment
▪ Pre-sowing Treatment : Sulphuric acid
or soaking in water at room T for 24 hrs
Nursery
Bed Sowing
▪ Sowing in Beds in Feb-March
▪ Sowing in beds in lines 20 cm apart
▪ seed spacing 2 cm apart in lines and 1.5 cm deep
▪ Weeding/watering regularly
▪ seedling spacing 5 cm apart in lines
Sowing in P Bag/ Container
▪ P Bag filled with sieved soil & compost in 2:1 ratio
▪ 2 seed in one container
▪ Regular weeding/watering : I seedling retained
▪ Germination starts in a week & complete in fortnight
▪ 3-4 month old & 20-30 cm tall is Plantable
7. Artificial Regeneration (AR)
Methods
1. Direct
Sowing
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2. Plantation ▪
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Seed sown in June –July in patches or strips
Patches : 45x45 cm at spacing of 2.5x2.5 m : 0.5kg/ha
Strips : 45 cm wide spaced 2.5 m apart : 2kg/ha
50 seeds/m2 of patch or strip
Weeding and Thinning
After 2 yrs of sowing , 2plants/patch or 2-3/m2
retained
1st mechanical Thinning in 5th year
3-4 month old & 20-30 cm tall is Plantable
Pit made in advance : 30x30x30 cm
Pit spacing : 2.5 x 2.5 m
Spacing 4-5 m if planted along field bunds
Weeding/Bush cutting as per requirement
Closure of area essential (Fencing): Fire/Browsing
P-Bag Plantation is most preferred over sowing/naked
root plantation
8. Silvicultural System & Mgmt.
SS
1. Selection
System
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2. Clear Felling ▪
System
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3. Coppice
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CWS/CWR
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1. Economic
2. Ecological
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In Moist Mixed Forests
X (dia ) = 30-35 cm, suitable for Katha manufacture
Felling Cycle = 10-30 yrs
Give best result with AR
In Sub Himalayan Forests
AR
Mixed Dry Deciduous Forests
Rotation = 30 yrs
9. Importance
Cutch & Katha
Wood : Oil seed Crusher,Plough,charcoal
Fodder & Fuel wood
Bark as tanning ; Dyeing agent
Hardy species and Fast growing and stabilises soil in
dry and warm areas, N Fixation, maintain alkalinity.
• Inflammations, skin diseases and urinary
disorders
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