PIONEER AGRO DALBERGIA LATIFOLIA(ROSE WOOD) TREE SEED

About Dalbergia latifolia (Indian Rosewood)

Dalbergia latifolia, commonly known as Indian Rosewood, is a predominantly single-stemmed deciduous tree with a dome-shaped crown of lush green foliage. On wet sites, its leaves are retained year-round. It grows to a height of 20–40 m with a girth of 1.5–2 m. The species is recognized for its straight, cylindrical bole and full rounded crown. It is drought-resistant, a good coppicer, and thrives best in deep loam or clayey soils containing lime.

Distribution

Found throughout Andhra Pradesh in moist deciduous forests, more common along the Godavari River but never in abundance.

Botanical Classification

• Family: Leguminosae - Papilionioideae
• Common Name: Indian Rosewood

Flowering and Fruiting

• Flowering: Whitish flowers in short, axillary, much-branched panicles from June to July
• Fruiting: Pods ripen from December to March

Fruit and Seed Morphology

• Pod Size: 4–8 cm long, 1.5–2 cm wide
• Shape: Oblong-lanceolate, abruptly narrowed to a stipe
• Texture: Flat and glabrous
• Seeds per Pod: 1–3

Seed Collection and Storage

Ripe dark brown pods are collected from February to March by lopping branches. Pods are sun-dried and stored in gunny bags. Clean seed extraction is not necessary for sowing.

Pretreatment

No pretreatment required.

Nursery Technique

Seeds are sown in primary beds with porous sandy loam soil in drills. Germination occurs within 10 days, after which seedlings are transplanted into polythene bags. Shade is necessary for young plants.