Dimapur: Nagaland‘s foothill regions offer promising conditions for Sandalwood cultivation due to their favourable moisture levels and fertile soil, according to scientists from the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).
A team of researchers from the ICFRE-Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), Bengaluru, the ICFRE-Institute of Forest Biodiversity (IFB) and the ICFRE-Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat, visited several locations in Nagaland on November 10 to assess the growth of Sandalwood and Red Sanders.
The team examined the development of heartwood in mature trees and evaluated the suitability of the state’s soil and climatic conditions for cultivating the two species.
The Nagaland Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department held a coordination meeting with the scientists at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat in Kohima on Wednesday. Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema chaired the meeting.
The department is exploring opportunities for commercial cultivation of Sandalwood and Red Sanders in the state in collaboration with ICFRE scientists.
Scientists assess Sandalwood cultivation prospects
During the meeting, Dr Swapnendu Pattanaik, Director of IFB; Dr B N Diwakara, Scientist-F at IWST, Bengaluru; Dr Satyam Bordoloi, Scientist-E at RFRI; and Dr Rakesh Kumar Prajapat, Scientist at RFRI, presented their findings and technical assessments.
The researchers reported satisfactory heartwood development in mature Sandalwood trees, indicating favourable prospects for cultivation in suitable parts of Nagaland.
They also presented positive findings from scientific studies conducted in neighbouring areas around Diphu in Assam to support their assessment.
However, the scientists stressed that successful cultivation would require proper scientific practices. These include selecting quality planting materials, maintaining appropriate spacing and providing suitable host plants.
They explained that Sandalwood is a parasitic species that depends on host plants for its growth and survival.
Given its relatively long gestation period, the researchers recommended using land unsuitable for other commercial crops for Sandalwood cultivation.
Red Sanders requires further study
Regarding Red Sanders, the scientists observed that the trees showed impressive physical growth under Nagaland’s climatic conditions.
However, heartwood formation was found to be slow and had not yet reached the quality required for commercial use.
They advised the department to exercise caution before recommending Red Sanders cultivation to farmers and called for further technical studies to assess its commercial viability.