Eucalyptus tereticornis, Smith.
Family : Myrtaceae
Common Name : Nilagiri
Telugu Name : Jamail, Neelagiri

General :

Commonly planted both by Forest Department and farmers in block plantations, along the field bunds, backyards etc. for the best growth, it requires deep, fertile, well drained loamy soil with adequate miosture. Not suitable for steep hill slopes, dry eroded and waterlogged land, stagnates on poor, heavy, highly alkaline and saline soils. It has got a conical crown.

Flowering :

April.

Fruiting :
Trees of five years old onwards seed profusely twice in a year; once in October and next in May.
Seed Collection and Storage :
Summer collection yields cleaner seeds with less chaff. Seeds are collected from trees of superior phenotypes on from selected seed plots/orchards. Air dried stored in air-tight container retains viability to a fair extent for 1-2 years.
Seed Biology :
No. of seeds per Kg.
Purity percentage
Moisture percentage
Germination percentage
No. of seedlings per Kg. of seed
Time for germination in days
1,00,000
8
6.3
90
60,000 to 80,000
3 to 7
Nursery Technique :
Seeds are sown in January in raised primary beds covered with hay. Germination comes in a week. Beds are to be kept moist but no excessive watering is given. When they attain 10 cms height, they are pricked out to the polybags.