Mixed Plantation of Santalum album L. and - APAFRI-Asia Pacific ...

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Mixed Plantation of Santalum album L. and
Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen. in China
Daping Xu, Junku Lu, Xiaojin Liu,
Ningnan Zhang and Zengjiang Yang
Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese
Academy of Forestry

Introduction of Sandalwood
Santalum album L. was introduced into China in
1962
Establishing this species plantation has been
started since 1980s’
There are 1500 ha sandalwood plantations in
China now, and most of them was established in
the past 5 years
It will reach to 5000 ha by 2015

Plus Tree Selection
More than 40
plus trees were
selected from
plantations
according to
the early
growth. There
is uncertainty
on hard quality
of those plus
trees.

Seed Production
Seed orchard was established with
these selected plus tree seeds.
The seeds were collected from former
plantations. Seed production is more
than enough for plantation
establishment.
We are very interested in genetic
resource exchange. Please contact me
if you are interested in seed exchange.

Seed storage and pre-treatment
Sandal seeds can keep a high vigor (40-
50%) for 2-3 years when stored in a
cold, dry environment at around 4 ℃ ;
Low concentration of gibberellins
(0.08%-0.12%) can accelerate the
germination of sandal seeds greatly (Liu
et al, 2010).
Seedbed of
sandal after
GA treatment

Seedling raising
Beginning
2 months later
media affects growth and quality of sandal seedlings;
burnt soil, peat and coconut dust (1:1:1) the best (Liu et al, 2009).
4 months later 5 months later

Seedling Production
A series of experiments had been done to determine the
best seed treatment, media, host plant, fertilization
regime and growth control for seedling production.

Seedling raising
Using the best cultivation technique,
sandal seedlings can be raised in
larger amount, about 5 million per
year in China;
Therefore, the price of a seedling has
been decreased dramatically from 5
to 0.5 USD in past 5 years.
Sandal nursery
Sandal seedlings

Tissue Culture Seedlings have been
tested for plantation establishment

Site selection
Sandalwood trees like to grow on good
drainage condition, and hilly and
mountainous lands are better than
plain lands.
Young trees can tolerate -2 o C in 2-3
days with a little drying up of young
leaves and tips in winter
It is more likely that hard formation
will be earlier in tropical than
subtropical climate

Pest control
Pests can be divided into two groups: leaf eating and stem boring.
Leaf eating insects (moths) can be controlled by Trichlorfon.
Boring insects can be controlled by stem injection of Dichlorvos.

Disease control
Disease control during nursery period
was critical for sandal;
Thiophanate-methyl, Carbendazol and
Triadimefon are useful for controlling
sandal diseases;
No spike disease was found in China.
Shoot wilting
Stem blight
Powdery mildew

Tending and management
Water management, nutrient supply and
host maintenance are three most important
factors during the tending or management
of sandal;
Water redundant and host death cause leaf
etiolation, while micro-nutrient deficiency
cause top wilt.
Water redundant
Lost host
Nutrient deficiency

Plantation establishment
Sandal plantations grow very well in
Guangdong province, especially with
mixed hosts;
An average height of 6.05m and 10.27
cm DBH were achieved in 6-year old
sandal plantations (Liu et al, 2012).
Field establishment 1 year old 2 years old 6 years old

Kuhnia rosmarnifolia from seedling
pot can be a good host for 1-2 years

White Tephrosia (Tephrosia candida) is good host when
Kuhnia rosmarnifolia is shaded by sandalwood trees

Young tree stage
Kuhnia rosmarnifolia
Tephrosia candida
Different hosts affect the growth, Kuhnia rosmarnifolia is the most
suitable pot host, and tephrosia candida is the best intermediate host
(Liu et al, 2010).

Irrigation will be helpful on hilly side

Long Term host is Dalbergia odorifera, the best
rosewood in the world for a mixed forest
between sandwood and Dalbergia odorifera

Site selection
Sandal also grows well in four-side &
roadside and ornamental planting.
Four-side planting Roadside planting Ornamental planting

Heartwood presences in
young sandal
Total ion chromatogram of essential oil
extracted from 6-year-old young sandal
Cores taken from different heights within a tree
α-santalol, 18.62%
β-santalol, 9.82%
Heartwood commence to form naturally at an early year (6-year old) in China,
but the santalol content is low (Liu et al, 2011, 2012).

In a 20 years old plantation, all trees
have hardwood in Hainan island

Speed heartwood formation
A series of experiments were conducted in
last year strive to accelerate heartwood
formation in young sandals;
Those approaches include: gas stress,
wounding stress, phytoharmone stress and
fungi stress etc.
Stem injection Gas filling Fungi injection

Cores and oil extracted from different treatments
Ion chromatogram of oil
Speed heartwood formation
Different gases have different effects in
inducing heartwood formation of young
sandal;
Great differences in heartwood distribution,
oil yield and oil quality were found between
different gas treatments (Liu et al,
unpublished data).
Component
Content
α-santalol 38.49%
β-santalol 10.41%

Speed heartwood formation
Different kinds and dosage of
phytoharmones affect the heartwood
formation, oil content as well as oil
quality of sandal significantly (Liu et
al, unpublished data).
Component Content
α-santalol 38.23%
β-santalol 18.71%
Component Content
α-santalol 20.42%
β-santalol 8.06%
Core samples of induced heartwood
Total ion chromatogram of induced oil

Speed heartwood formation
Fungi can also induce heartwood
formation in young sandals;
Oil content and quality induced by
different fungis are under
determination.

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Why is Dalbergia odorifera a superior host
of sandalwood ?

Sandalwood growth performance with different hosts and
no host treatment
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Sandalwood associated with Dalbergia odorifera
Sandalwood associated with Acacaia confusa

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Sandalwood associated with
Bischofia polycarpa
Sandalwood associated
with Dracontomelon
duperreranum
No host sandalwood

D. odorifera was the best host for sandalwood
growth comparing with other 3 host and no host.
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Haustorium of S. album attaching on the host root and
nodule
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N% in sandalwood were greater when growing
with two N 2 -fixing hosts than with two non-
N 2 -fixing hosts or with no host
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δ 15 N is significantly greater in the S. album if grew alone or
grew with non -N 2 -fixing hosts than grew with N 2 -fixing hosts
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Rhizobium inoculation enhanced N transfer from D. odorifera to S.
album via haustoria connection using 15 N tracer

Photosynthesis rate was highest when sandalwood growing
with D. odorifera in the 190 days after transplanting
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ABA content in sandalwood leaves was higher than other host
species
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Content of ABA in plant leaves of Santalum album associated with
different hosts

The content of ABA in hosts was increased after their
setting up semi-parasitic relationship
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Content of ABA in plant leaves
(ng/g· FW)

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In next decade, 10000 ha mixed
plantation of Santalum album L. and
Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen. will be
established in south China
Thank!