CASUARINA TREE FARMING

Introduction

Casuarinas Are A Versatile Group Of Plants With Wide-Ranging Adaptability To Grow In Different Environments And Provide Multiple End Uses And Services. They Fix Atmospheric Nitrogen Through A Symbiotic Association With The Bacteria, Frankia. Casuarina Wood With A High Calorific Value Is A Renowned Fuel Wood In The Tropics. In India Casuarina Equisetifolia Was Introduced During The 19th Century And Is Now Estimated To Be Under Cultivation In Around Half A Million Hectares Mainly In The Peninsular Region. Apart From Fuel, The Wood Is Extensively Used For Papermaking And Of Late Is A Preferred Choice For Biomass-Based Power Generation. The Straight Cylindrical Stems Find Use In Rural House Building And As Scaffolds In Construction Sites. It Is The Principal Species For Developing Shelterbelts In Coastal Areas And Windbreaks For Protecting Agricultural Crops. It Also Plays A Key Role In Reclaiming Mined Areas And Afforesting Nutrient-Poor Sites.

Vegetative Propagation

Outstanding Casuarina Trees Can Be Propagated By Rooting Of Young Shoots (‘Sprigs’). Such Plants Produce Uniform Superior Growth In Plantations. Sprigs Collelcted From Selected Trees Are Trimmed To 8-10 Cm Long And Washed In A 5% Solution Of Fungicide Like Bavistin TM. The Lower Portion Of The Shoot Is Treated With A Rooting Hormone, Indole Butyric Acid (Commercial Name: Seradix BTM). The Treated Cuttings Are Placed In Root Trainers Containing Vermiculite Or Treated Coir Pith And Kept In Mist Chamber Or Propagation Chambers Made Of Polythene Sheets. Rooting Occurs In 15 To 20 Days And Then Transplanted Into Polybags Or Root Trainers And Grown In The Same Way As Seedlings.

Species

Casuarina Equisetifolia, Casuarina Junghuhniana

Family

Casuarinaceae

Common Name

Beefwood, She-Oak

 

 

Locality Factors

Altitude

0 – 1000 M

Mean Annual Rainfall

900 – 3800 Mm

Mean Annual Temperature

10 – 47° C

Soil Type

Best In Loose, Fine Coastal Sands.

For Inland Conditions – Well Drained Sandy Soils.

It Tolerates Lateritic And Red Soils And Also Saline, Alkaline And Acidic Conditions.

Phenology

Flowering

Flowering Occurs Twice A Year February To April

September To October

Fruit Ripening

June

December

Silvicultural Characters

 

Strong Light Demander And Drought Resistant. Susceptible To Fire.

Coppices Badly.

Tolerate Waterlogged Conditions

Seed Propagation

Seed Treatment – Nil

Seeds Are Raised In The Mother Bed Germinated Seedlings Are Transplanted

Six Month Old Seedlings Are Ready For Planting

Nursery Techniques

Vegetative Propagation

Clonal Technology – Mini Clonal Establishment Of Clonal Mother Garden

Management Of Mother Garden With Irrigation And Fertilizer

Induction Of Micro Suits Cutting Of 5 To 10 Cm

Planting In Root Trainer Filled With Coir Compost Root Initiation Within 21 Days

Hardening 45 To 60 Days

90 Days Old Plants Are Ready For Planting

Silvicultural Treatment

Spacing

1.5 X 1.5 M To 2 X 2 M

Pit Size

30 Cm X 30 Cm X 30 Cm

Basal

Application

250g Of Vermi-Compost Or 2kg Of Farmyard Manure

Per Pit With 50-100 G DAP

Planting Time

South West And North East Monsoon

Irrigation

6 To 8 Litters Per Day

Fertilizer Application

100 Kg Urea First Year In Three Dozes 150 Kg DAP At Four Dozes In Second Year

150 Complex In Three Dozes In Third Year

Weeding

Two Weedings Per Annum

Pruning

Once In Every Six Months

Thinning

Dead And Diseases

Rate Of Growth

High Yielding Short Rotation Trees.

It Yield An Average Of 100 To 150 Tonnes / Ha In 3 Years.

Rotation

Rotation Age Of Casuarina Is 36 Months

Utilization

Pulp Wood: Pulp Yield Is More Than 47 %.

Fuel Wood: Calorific Value Is 4950 Cal/Kg. Timber: Density Is 850 Kg/M3.

Wind Breaks Poles