A mysterious phenomenon seems to have badly affected production of seeds in teak trees this year, a fact visible in all the States in the country possessing teak forests. The abnormality came to light when the Forest Department in Telangana began collection of teak seeds for Haritha Haram, a reforestation programme.
While flowering of teak was more staggered in terms of period than is normal in Adilabad District, it occurred in August at many places. This was followed with a pest attack in September which had the trees shedding leaves earlier than is normal.
“This could be the reason for it but we cannot be certain,” observes Adilabad Conservator of Forests (CF) T.P. Thimma Reddy as he delves into the matter. “The production of seed was hardly commensurate with the profuse flowering,” he adds.
Having fallen drastically short of seed for raising nurseries for the Haritha Haram, the Forest department scouted for it in Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand. “The teak forests in all these States seems to have exhibited the same ecological phenomenon which has them running short of seeds,” reveals Bejjur Forest Range Officer M. Ram Mohan who purchased teak seeds for Kagaznagar Forest Division from Karnataka.
“Of the 22 tonnes of seed required by us we could procure about 15 tonnes while the District Water Management Agency which requires about 90 lakh seedlings is also facing dire shortage of teak seeds,” Mr. Reddy points out. The shortfall has also resulted in the Forest department paying about 30 per cent in excess of the usual Rs. 45 a kg of price for teak seeds excluding the transportation charges ranging between Rs. 5 and Rs. 10 per kg depending upon the distance.
Under the Haritha Haram, the Telangana State government plans to raise trees of about 100 indigenous varieties and teak is the flagship species. In Adilabad alone the government will plant 4 crore trees at the rate of 40 lakh saplings in each of the 10 Assembly constituencies.
“The teak nursery raised this year will be planted next year. There is no shortage of seeds worth the mention so far as other indigenous varieties are concerned,” the CF asserts.
