Research - Ministry of Environment and Forests

Annual Report 2006-2007✦✦✦✦Oil of selected accessions has been testedwhich varied from 25% to 35% on seedweight basis.AFRI, Jodhpur has conducted experimentson use of cheaper alternatives to mediacomponents, which show the potential ofsago and isabgol as viable solidifying agentsin Tissue culture.AFRI, Jodhpur identified four species ofwood boring insects, which causeconsiderable damage to the living standingtrees of Tecomella undulate. Three species oftermites are also observed to be associatedwith the infestation in T. undulata. They causea considerable damage to the dead wood aswell as living trees.Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI),Shimla has raised demonstration plots ofmedicinal plants at Deedagh (High altitude),Kalat (Mid altitude) and Salahan (Loweraltitude) covering an area of over 0.05 ha ateach locations under Good Idea Fund Projectin district Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh. Plotsas established included species of Actonitum,Valeriana, Picrorhiza, Rauwolfia, Withania,Aloe vera etc.Centre for Social Forestry and Eco-Rehabilitation (CSFER), Allahabad hascompleted plantation work and analysis ofdata for progeny trial under the NOVODBoard Project titled ‘Research andDevelopment of Jatropha under NationalNetwork Programme’.Progress/Achievements during the year✦✦✦FRI, Dehradun has studied variations inlignin, extractives and ash in case of subabulcollected from different geographical regions.FRI, Dehradun has identified Earliellascabrosa as a white rot causing fungus in storedwood of poplars.As part of ex-Situ conservation projectAngelica glauca, Valeriana wallichii,Nurdostachys jatamansi and Eremostachyssuperba collected from Gopeshwar Mandal✦and Kaddu Khal were introduced in BotanicalGarden by FRI, Dehradun.Fifteen Bamboo species other than existingin FRI Bambustum were collected fromArunachal Pradesh and introduced in thebambusetum of FRI, Dehradun.✦ Institute of Wood Science and Technology(IWST), Bangalore estimated the viscosityand density of oil of Pongamia pinnata seedscollected from all four silvicultural zones ofKarnataka.✦ AFRI, Jodhpur has identified five promisingclones for Eucalyptus camaldulensis out ofthirty clones planted.✦✦✦AFRI, Jodhpur has completed modelplantation work and establishment ofexperiments at Kaushalgarh, Saira (Rajasthan)and Dahod (Gujarat) as per guidelines ofDBT with planting stock of B. bambos andD. strictus. Initail data recorded after onemonth and survival percentage is more than90 at all sites.Documentation of traditional knowledgeregarding various uses of plants by the tribalsof Hoshangabad circle was done in TropicalForest Research Institute (TFRI), Jabalpur.TFRI, Jabalpur conducted vegetation study,profile study and microclimatic study atJagdalpur (CG) ecotone area.✦ HFRI, Shimla has raised, maintained anddistributed seedlings of around 90,000medicinal plants under National MedicinalPlant Board funded project to various endusers including State Forests Departments,Non-governmental organizations andfarmers.✦CSFER, Allahabad has developed theplanting stock of medicinal plants asagroforestry cash crop for local farmers.Other Activities✦The ICFRE organized a meeting ofstakeholders on “Proposed policy reforms toremove the barriers to CDM Afforestation1497