General Information :

• It is a deciduous evergreen tree, 15-30 m high.
• Bark dark grey  and Leaves pale green in color 
• Fruit an upright, almost spherical, woody capsule with Seeds brown in color.

Distribution :

• Scattered within high rainfall areas and restricted to riparian habitat.

Habitat : Riverine forests.

Soil : Prefers neutral, deep, sandy loam soil that is well drained.

Altitude :Up to 1800 m (MSL)

Rainfall :400-1750 mm

Temperature : 24-31 deg. C

Terrain : Plains/Gentle slopes

Tree Characteristics :

• The most drought hardy of all the Khaya species.
• It is also very resistant to flooding and can be considered for planting on swampy soils. 
• Moderately shade tolerant.

Habit : Semi-deciduous Tree

Natural Regeneration :

• Natural regeneration by root suckers.

Artificial Regeneration :

• Propagated by nursery raised seedlings.

Seed collection and Storage :

• Seed are collected from the tree during April - June
• Sun-dry the seeds out in the open for 1-2 days
• Cleaned seeds can be stored in air tight containers.
• One kilogram contains 1500-2000 seeds.
• Seeds can be stored for a year or more

Seed Treatment :

• Soaked in cold water for 24-48 hrs

Nursery Technique :

• Nursery raised Seedlings: 
• Polybags of size 13 x 25 cm are filled with good mixture of growth medium      (Red soil, sand and FYM (2:1:1)
• Two seeds are sown per bag at a depth of 1.5 cm in February-March.          
• The seedlings attain plantable size in 6 months.

Plantation technique :

• The 30 cm3 pit at a spacing of 5 m x 5 m (Block planting) and 3m x 3m (Boundary planting) are prepared in advance to allow weathering of soil.
• Planting is done on the onset of first monsoon. 

Care & Disease Control :

• Soil working around the plant is carried out for a month after planting.
• Weeding and ploughing once in a year is necessary.

Irrigation :

• For proper growth and survival it is necessary to give one or two waterings after planting. This is specifically required in arid regions.
• Irrigation after planting is not a prerequisite in areas having sufficient soil moisture and precipitation.
• Higher survival rate and better rate of growth is reported when soil and water conservation measures are also adopted.

Recommended Harvest :

• 30-40 years

Yield :

• Approximately 150-200 tones /ha*

*Subject to varry according to site factors.

Major uses :

• The wood is valued for carpentry, joinery, furniture, cabinet work, ship building and decorative veneer. 
• It is suitable for construction, flooring, interior trim, vehicle bodies, toys, novelties, railway sleepers, turnery and pulpwood. 
• It is also used as fuel wood and for charcoal production.
• The bitter-tasting bark is highly valued in traditional medicine. 

Market details :

• Approximately Rs.1800 – 2000/tons*

*Subject to change according to market demands