Prof. K.C. Chacko, Senior Scientist (Retd.) K.F.R.I.
A huge opportunity is opening up for farmers across Kerala. Sandalwood is a crop cultivated for its harvestable product everywhere.
Although there are many varieties of sandalwood, the variety cultivated in our country is the fragrant Santalum album.
The saplings selected for cultivation should be about one foot tall, have grown branches, have leaves with a good green color, and a brown-colored stem.
Since sandalwood is a semi-parasitic plant, host plants like the touch-me-not should be grown at its base from an early stage.
When planting in a garden, it is beneficial to plant the host plants in an open pit 15 cm away from the base of the sandalwood sapling. The host plants require ground space, shade, and openness.
Spacing for planting is usually adopted according to the topography, such as 6×3 meters (222 saplings per acre) or 3×4 meters (333 saplings per acre).
6×3 meters
222 saplings per acre
3×4 meters
333 saplings per acre
The cultivation period can be estimated at 20 years (some trees will be ready for harvest in 16 years itself).
If 222 saplings are planted per acre, it can be assumed that after 20 years, 200 trees will be ready for harvest.
The average heartwood obtainable from one tree is 5 kg (there have been instances of getting up to 30 kg). The average price can be estimated at ₹15,000 per kilo.
In that case, the income from one acre will be one crore rupees. This is not an exaggerated calculation. The periodic growth in the price and value of sandalwood will also increase the income.
In this situation, sandalwood is indeed a crop that can be encouraged. Protecting the sandalwood plantation from thieves is no easy task.
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