Dalbergia sissoo, Roxb.

Family: Leguminosae-Papilionioideae

General :

It is not indigenous but frequently planted on roadsides. Recommended for plantations on sandy and gravelly alluvium soils on beds of river, It avoids stiff clay, preferring porous soil of sand, pebbles and boulders. It is identified by somewhat crooked bole acuminate leaves.

Flowering :

White flowers in short panicles appear in March to April.

Fruiting :

Although fruits are formed early, they mature in December to January.

Morphology of the Fruit/Seed :

Pods 5 to 7.5 cms long, strap-shaped, pale-brown, glabrous, indehiscent, 1 to 4 seeded. Seeds 6-8 mm by 4-5 mm in size, kidney shaped, thin, flat, light brown with a papery testa.

Seed Collection and Storage :

Pods are collected from November to March. Pods are dried in the sun for 3 to a4 days. Well dried and moisture protected pods may be kept for 3 years, without much loss in viability.

Seed Biology :

Pretreatment:

Not required. However, for hastenting germination, soak the seeds in cold water for 24 hours.

Nursery Technique :

Broken pieces of pods, each containing one seed are sown in properly worked up soil and lightly covered with earth in February-March. Too much watering is avoided. Then they are transplanted to polybags. Stumps can be prepared from stock of 12 to 16 months old plants.