Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Abstract: S. album L. is the source of highly priced and fragrant heartwood which on steam\ndistillation yields on an average 57\nper cent oil of high perfumery value. Global\ndemand for sandalwood is about 5000-6000\ntons/year and that of oil is 100 tons/year.\nHeartwood of sandal is estimated to fetch up to Rs. 3.7 million/ton and wood oil\nRs.70,000-100,000/\nkg in the international market. Sandal heartwood prices have\nincreased from Rs. 365/ton in 1900 to Rs. 6.5 lakhs/ton in 1999-2000\nand to Rs. 37\nlakhs/ton in 2007. Substantial decline in sandalwood production has occurred from 3176\ntons/year during 1960-‘\n65 to 1500 tons/year in 1997-98,\nand to 500 tons/year in 2007.Depletion of sandal resources is attributed to several factors, both natural and\nanthropogenic. Low seed setting, poor seed germination, seedling mortality, lack of\nhaustorial connection with host plant roots, recurrent annual fires in natural sandal\nforests, lopping of trees for fodder, excessive grazing, hacking, encroachments, seedling\ndiseases and spread of sandal spike disease are the major problems facing sandal. While\nthese factors hinder sandal regeneration in forest areas, the situation is accelerated by\nhuman activities of chronic overexploitation\nand illicit felling.Deterioration of natural sandal populations due to illicit felling, encroachments and\ndiseases has an adverse effect on genetic diversity of the species. The loss of genetic\ndiversity has aggravated during recent years due to extensive logging, changing landuse\npatterns and poor natural regeneration. The consequent genetic erosion is of serious\nconcern affecting tree improvement programme in sandal. Conservation as well as mass\npropagation are the two strategies to be given due importance. To initiate any\nconservation programme, precise knowledge of the factors influencing regeneration and\nsurvival of the species is essential. Hence, the present study was undertaken with the\nobjective of investigating the autotrophic and parasitic phase of sandal seedlings\ngrowth, the effects of shade on morphology, chlorophyll concentration and chlorophyll\nfluorescence of sandal seedlings, genetic diversity in sandal seed stands using ISSR\nmarkers, and the diversity of fungal isolates causing sandal seedling wilt using RAPD\nmarkers. All these factors directly influence regeneration and survival of sandal\nseedlings in natural forests and plantations.
Language: English
Topic: Wood and Agarwood Research
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1570387384