Six years after the devastation caused by Cyclone Gaja, Vedaranyam taluk (Tamil Nadu), once known for its flourishing casuarina (savukku) plantations, is seeing a revival as farmers prepare for their first harvest in five years.
About Casuarina Tree:
It is native to Australia and it was introduced in India around the 19th century.
It is also known as kattadi and savukku.
There are four cultivated species of casuarinas viz., Casuarina equisetifolia, Casuarina glauca, Casuarina cunninghamiana and Casuarina junghuhniana.
The nitrogen fixing ability and adaptability to grow in a wide range of soil and climatic conditions including moisture and nutrient limited sites makes Casuarina a preferred choice for commercial and environmental planting programmes.
Distribution: Casuarinas are widely planted in the tropics, subtropics and Mediterranean countries because of their ready adaptability to a variety of environmental conditions and also for their rapid growth performance.
Climate:The trees are suited to a wide range of temperature from 10°C-33°C, from sea level upto 1500m and mean annual rainfall between 700 and 2000 mm.
Soil:The trees are best suited to light soils. This species tolerates calcareous and slightly saline soils, but it is grown poorly on heavy soils such as clays.
Uses
Apart from fuel, the wood is extensively used for papermaking and of late is a preferred choice for biomass-based power generation.
The straight cylindrical stems find use in rural house building and as scaffolds in construction sites.
It is the principal species for developing shelterbelts in coastal areas and windbreaks for protecting agricultural crops.
It also plays a key role in reclaiming mined areas and afforesting nutrient-poor sites.
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