Silviculture

Of
Dalbergia sissoo

Guided By Presented By
Mr. D.D. Gujela (IFS) Dr. Mukesh S. Mali
Director RFO Trainee
Kundal Academy Roll No. 27
 Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.
Rose wood

Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.

Indian Rosewood
 Classification and Local name of plant
Kingdom Plant
Subkingdom Phenerogames
Division - Angiosperm
Class Dicotyledonous
Series caliciflorae
Order Rosales
Family Leguminoseae
Sub-Family- Fabaceae - Papilionaceae
Genus Dalbergia
Species sissoo
Scientific or Botanical name - Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. ex DC.

Local Name

Bengali Shishu Gujarati Sisu Hindi Shisham, sissoo

Marathi Sissu Panjabi Nim Thali, Shisham Oriya Sissu
Tamil Sissuitbi Telugu Sissu, Karra

Common Name Sissoo, Indian rosewood

 World distribution of D. sissoo

D. sissoo is native to the plains, low hills and mountain valleys of the sub-Himalayan region
 Provenance of D. sissoo

Approximate natural range of Dalbergia sissoo.

 Associate species of Sissoo
Acacia catechu Lannea grandis
Tamerix dioica Kydia calycina
Ehretia laevis Premna latifolia
 Introduction of Sissoo
Dalbergia sissoo (shisham, sissoo) is one of the most important
timber species of India.
Dalbergia sissoo is widely distributed in many parts of India up to
900m in the sub- Himalayan tract and occasionally ascending
to 1500m.
Sissoo trees from different localities have varied characteristics
including growth, form, colour, grain, working and strength
properties.
Sissoo is a primary coloniser on the new alluvial soils along the
riverbanks.
Sissoo has been extensively planted along roadsides, canal banks
and sometimes on the private vacant and agricultural lands,
especially in Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and in
many other parts of the country.
Sissoo can successfully be grown in combination with a variety of
other crops viz., grasses, agriculture and fruit crops.
 Site Factors
Dalbergia sissoo is remarkable adopted to a wide range of climatic,
edaphic and tropical factors :
Temperature : 4 to 50C.
Rainfall : Annual rainfall averages 500 to 4500 mm.
Where rainfall is less than 1000 mm, survival
Soil : Well on rich alluvial soil, good drainage.
The trees easily survive the periodic flooding
associated with riverine sites but do poorly
under waterlogged conditions.
They require a pH of 5.0 to 7.7 and tolerate some
salinity, but growth is stunted on heavy clay
soils.
Topography : The species occurs commonly from sea level up to
1000 m; under suitable environmental conditions
trees can be found as high as 1500 m.
 Silvicultureal Characters

Light : Sissoo id a strong light demander

Frost : frost hardy, leaves affected , but tree not injured
Drought : fairly resistant, seedling are sensitive
Animal damage : readily browsed by cattle & etc.
Root suckers : prolific root suckers, abundance
Coppicing power : Fairly good coppicer
Weeds retard the growth of seedling
 Plant Description

Habit : A big tree.

Leaves : Leaves are leathery, alternate, compound and
about 15 cm (5.9 in) long., imparipinnate,
leaf-rachis zigzag, stipules lanceolate, leaflets
3-5, orbicular, acuminate, entire.
Inflorescence : Axillary panicles.
Flower : Flowers are whitish to pink, fragrant, nearly sessile, up to
1.5 cm (0.59 in) long and in dense clusters 510 cm (2.0
3.9 in) in length. Calyx campanulate, corolla pale yellow,
standard obovate-orbicular, with a long claw, wings oblong,
keel obtuse, stamens 9, monadelphous, ovary long,
style incurved.
Fruit : Pod thin samara-like, 1-4 seeded, seeds brownish, sub-
reniform.
Monographs of D. Sissoo
 Phenology

leafless for a very short time November to January

New leaves appearing shorter their after February
Dalbergia sissoo normally flowers between February and
April.
Following the appearance of buds, the flowers take from 13
to 15 days to come into full bloom and a further 20
to 25 days to develop pods.
Seeds are light brown, flat and thin 5 to 9 cm long and 8
to 12 mm wide.
 Phenology

Seeds are kidney shaped, glossy and 6 mm long.

There are about 50,000 to 60,000 seeds per kilogram or
18,000 seeds in one kg of dry pods.
Mature seed that has been properly dried, cleaned and
stored should germinate at a rate of 80 to 90%.
 Natural Regeneration

Pods are disseminated by wind in the riverine tracts.

Seed dispersal may also take place by water along
streams/river
Germination takes place during the monsoon months.
A dense weed growth may serve as an obstacle for
regeneration
 Artificial Regeneration
Direct sowing line sowing 2 mt.
Planting seedling are raised in the nursery 9-12
months old. With spacing 2.5 X2.5 mt.
Stump planting in U.P., West Bengal etc. stump
planting is carried out in order to raise forest and
avenues of sissoo
Root Suckers Its produce root suckers in abundance
and these are used for artificial regeneration.
Felling the tree ground level and exposing the
root, leads to the production of root suckers.
 Dalbergia sissoo stump
cuttings should be 17-22 cm
below the root collar and 2-3
cm above. Root collar
diameter should be 1 cm.

Incisions near the base of

cuttings stimulate root
growth.
 Nursery Technique

The pod fragments are soaked in water for 24 to 48

hours
The seeds absorb the water, visibly swelling.
Inoculation with Rhizobium
Dalbergia sissoo fixes nitrogen through a symbiotic
relationship with Rhizobium bacteria in the soil.
Dalbergia sissoo seedlings can also be inoculated
in the nursery.
When the seedlings are about 5 cm tall they are
transplanted into containers. For production of
stumps, 12-16 months are required in the nursery.
 Inoculation with Rhizobium

A 50 g bag of good inoculant is enough to inoculate 10,000 seedlings.

 A fast-growing species;
3.7 m in 1 year,
5 m in 3 years,
11 m in 5 years
15 m in 10 years
D. sissoo plantations are established in block or strip
plantations at 1.8 x 1.8 m to 4 x 4 m
 Tending
Weeding, Hoeing & Cleaning
Weeding are essential in the year of formation
Weed free, proper soil working proper growth in early stage
Two to four weeding in the first Seed germinate, stump sprout
Soil working along with last weeding conserve moisture
Second year one or two weeding
Third year None , except in special case weed & Grass growth
In irrigated plantation raised by coppice cleaning first year,
or early second year, reducing the coppice shoot to two or
three per stool.
 Thinning
Sissoo being a strong light demander .
In irrigated mixed Sissoo mulberry plantation - 3 thinning
6th , 10th , 14th year to help mulberry
Where the growing stock is mainly Sissoo two 6th and
11th years.
New plantation first thinning is more or less mechanical
and the second being C grade one.
Un-irrigated canal plantation of U.P. 3, 6,10,15 and 20
years pure or plantation
Tarai and Bhabar mix plantation - 3,5,10,15,20,30,40 and
50 years
 Injuries, Pest and Diseases
Injuries - (I) climatic Drought- seedling
wind storm damage opened crops
river bank erosive action
(II) Plants weeds, tall grass, climber, parasitic plant
(III) Animals Young plant browsed by dear, cattle and
other browsers also
Insect Leaf defoliator Plaeoptera reflexa
Dichomeris eridantis, Ascotis selenaria
Leaf miner Leucoptera sphemograpts
Leaf roller Apoderus sissu
Sap sucking bug Droscicha magifera
Fungi Wilt Fusarium solani in natural forest
Chlorisis and leaf drop artificial plantation
Ganoderma lucidum Root disease
Polyporus gilvus fungal pest
 Rate of Growth

Crop of age Average dia

Ave. height (m) No. of trees/ha
(years) (cm)
5 5.6 6.2 1310
10 13.7 9.3 729
15 20.1 12.4 487
20 26.7 15.4 358
25 32 18.4 282
30 36.3 18.5 240
35 39.9 21.4 222
40 42.9 21.5 215

Un- irrigated plantation along canals of Ganga and Yamuna rivers in U.P.
(W.P. for canal plantations, U.P. For 1962-72)
 Utilization
D. sissoo as a "living bank account" for security against future
economic needs
The trees provide fuelwood, fodder, green manure and other wood
products on a regular basis as well as timber at the end of a
20- to 25-year rotation.
Fodder: Young branches and foliage form an excellent fodder with a
dry-mater content of 32.46%, crude protein 2.7- 24.1%.
Apiculture: A useful source of honey but he flowers are only lightly
attached to the flower branch and fall easily.
Fuel: The species is fast growing, hence suitable for firewood.
High calorific values of 4.9 and 5.2 kcal/g respectively.
Timber: One of the most useful timber species of India. The
heartwood is very hard and close grained with a specific
gravity of 0.62-0.82. It is used for high- quality furniture,
cabinets, decorative veneer, marine and aircraft grade
plywood, ornamental turnery, carving, engraving, tool
handles.
Poison: Pesticide properties - Aqueous extracts from the laves,
stems and roots.
Tannin or dyestuff: Pods - 2% tannin.
Lipids (Oil): Heartwood yields light brown, viscous, no-drying fixed
oil(5.35%), suitable as lubricant for heavy machinery.
Medicine:
A compound made by boiling the leaves is used to treat
gonorrhea.
Bark and wood extracts are used to alleviate vomiting,
thirst and burning sensations.
Other uses include the treatment of leucoderma, leprosy,
boils, ulcers, indigestion and dysentery.
Oil from the seeds is used to treat skin ailments.
People use twigs of D. sissoo to clean their teeth.
Branches are also combined with animal dung as a source of
fuel.
Eight year old plantation in North Gujarat
(Pratapura Mehsana )
Thanks a lot