Indian Sandalwood Farming

                                      Indian Sandalwood

1.INTRODUCTION

Sandalwood has been valued for centuries for its fragrance, wood working potential and various purported medicinal qualities. In India the genus is represented by Santalum album and the wood is commercially known as East Indian Sandalwood and the essential oil from it is East Indian Sandalwood oil. East Indian Sandalwood & Sandalwood Oil are amongst the oldest perfumery materials used
2.Agro technology of cultivation of Sandalwood

It is a mistaken belief that sandalwood grown in natural forest conditions alone produce scented heartwood and sandalwood grown in northern region does not. Sandalwood can be grown in a variety of soil with pH ranging from 7 to 8.5, with area temperature ranging from 5 to 50C. It is not region specific and can adapt to different environmental conditions. The plantation-grown trees with irrigation and fertilization perform exceedingly well compared to natural forest conditions. In natural conditions sandalwood trees takes more than 7 years to produce scented heartwood and its growth is restricted due to climatic factors, soil, vegetation, fire, grazing and human interventions. Under these stress conditions, fully developed tree requires about 30 to 35 years for harvesting. Whereas the plantation grown trees produce heartwood formations in about 3 to 4 years and develop good heartwood ranging in diameter from 15 cm to 25 cm in about 12 to15 years. Harvesting at this age is much more economical and commercially viable.
The sandalwood oil obtained at this age may range from 3.5 to 4 percent with good percentage of total santalol content. These results are based on the existing plantations of Indian Sandalwood in Australia. Timely Irrigation, fertilization, soil working, pruning or training and inducing stress, providing good host plants are the important criteria for the healthy growth of sandalwood. The sandalwood tree is a partial root parasite, requiring another host tree by its side, through which it draws nutrient for its good growth.
3.Legal aspect of sandalwood
• Sandalwood plants are widely distributed in the southern states like, Karnataka,Tamil Nadu, AndhraPradesh and Kerala,hence, defined sandalwood as a “forest produce”, where as “Indian Forest Act”does not have any special provisions for sandalwood• The legal hassles faced by the Sandalwood trade regulation is that there is no comprehensive regulation applicable to the entire country. • The clandestine trade is flourishing and Sandalwood population declining which is in the verge of extinction and Sandalwood is classified as one of the endangered plant specie in India.
4.COST OF PLANTATION

A. plants 400* 35 = 14000/-rs

b.pit digging and plantation 400*20 = 8000/-rs

c.fertilizer 400*4kg =1600kg*10rs = 16000rs

d.drip irigation 25000rs

e.maintenace cost 1 year 25000rs

Total Cost 88000/-(1st year)

5.Expected yield of Heartwood after 15 years

• No.of Sandalwood trees eligible for
extraction after taking 10% as mortalities
theft etc., : 380 Nos.
• Qty.of Heartwood expected 380*20=7600kg
(20kg per tree) 
• Average cost of Heartwood per kg : Rs.3500/-
Total Rs.26600000/-