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Rain tree, Thoongumoonji

Samanea saman


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Description

General Information :

•    It is a middle sized to large evergreen tree with wide spreading branches.•    Bark is pale grey or brown in color.•    Flowers are short rose colored.•    Pods black brown contains 20-25 brown color seeds.

Distribution :

It was introduced to India and now widely planted for shades in plantation, avenue and also in pasture.

Habitat : Deciduous Forest

Soil : Wide range of soils

Soil pH : PH as low as 4.6

Altitude :Up to 1300 m (MSL)

Rainfall :500-2500 mm

Temperature : 20-35° C

Terrain : Plain / hilly

Tree Characteristics :
  • Drought Resistant

Habit : Deciduous Tree

Planting Guidelines

Natural Regeneration :

  • Natural regenerated by seeds.

Artificial Regeneration :

  • Propagated by direct sowing.

Seed collection and Storage :

•    Ripe pods are collected from the trees in March-April. •    Dried in sun and seeds are collected and stored in gunny bag.•    The seeds are 4400-7700 / kg. •    The germinative capacity is about 50 - 70% •    Plant percent is about 50 – 60 %. •    The period of germination is from 33-48 days.

Seed Treatment :

  • Hot and cold water treatment.

Nursery Technique :

•    1 Nursery raised seedlings do not stand planting out owing to injury to root system.•    Direct sowing is recommended.

Plantation technique :

•    Plantation land should be ploughed thoroughly.•    Seeds are son in patches at 2m intervals in rows and 3 m apart.

Care & Disease Control :

Pest & Disease:  Many defoliators including the Leucena leucocephala psyllid, but usually do not severe stress problems.

Recommended Harvest :

  • Up to70 years.

Yield :

Yields of up to 275 kilos of pods per year can be obtained from trees 15 years old

Agro Forestory :

  • The species is used as a shade for tea, coffee, cocoa, nutmeg and vanilla, and provides shade for pasture and grazing animals.

Major uses :

•    The tree is a popular avenue tree•    The wood is used for low class fuel.•    The wood is durable under water, hence used for boar building.

Other uses :

Medicine : A decoction of the inner bark and fresh leaves is treatment for diarrhoea, while a brew of small sections of the bark is taken to treat stomach-ache. A crude aqueous or alcoholic extract of the leaves is observed to have an inhibiting effect on Mycobacterium tuberculosis.                                Gum or resin : The bark is an abundant source of gums and resins.

Market details :

  • Approximately Rs.3700 to Rs.4000/Kg.