Effect of environmental variables on Acacia gum production in the tropics of Chhattisgarh, India

摘要

Environmental variables are key factors that affect the babul gum production by altering anatomical and physiological gummosis processes. Temperature and humidity play a significant role in gum production; even varying climatic parameters have significant impact on overall gum production in babul (Acacia nilotica) tree. Thus, we have tried to explore the impacts of environmental variables on ethephon induced gum production. This study involved a scientific basis of gum tapping technique using two varying concentrations of ethephon concentrations (15.6 or 62.4 mg/tree), 02 levels of girth classes (= 30.1 to = 50.0 cm and = 50.1 cm), 02 levels of holes/injuries (single and double) and 03 levels of season (rainy, winter and summer) on yield potentials of babul in Chhattisgarh. In this experiment, we have reported much fluctuation in environmental variables and analyzed their impacts on ethephon induced gum productions. The gum exudation rate was maximum (97.5 mg/tree/day) in November followed by 83.8 and 71.0 mg/tree/day in October and September during rainy season which reflects increase in gum production with relative lowering of the relative humidity. Similar trends of impacts were seen in winter and summer seasons. The gummosis process was correlated positively with temperature, while the same was correlated negatively with relative humidity, thus both having their respective effects significantly in opposite directions. The rate of gum exudation (RGE) was observed to be in the order of summer (137.10 mg/tree/day) rainy (84.10 mg/tree/day) winter (70.63 mg/tree/day). Gum exudation rate increases with increasing concentrations of ethephon from 15.6 to 62.4 mg/tree, number of injury from single to double and girth class of tree. In nutshell, this study could help in achieving sustainable gum production which is modified by ethephon concentration, seasons, hole and tree girth class under varying environmental parameters.