Botanical Name

Acacia nilotica L.

Name in English

Babul

Name in Kannada

Gobbali

Family

Fabaceae

Seeds Collection

A mature tree can produce 2,000-3,000 pods in a good fruiting season, each with 8-16 seeds, yielding 7500 seeds per kg.

Seeds Processing & Treatment

Soaking in hot water for 24 hours gives the best result and it has to be germinated immediately. Seeds can also be collected from animal droppings which give good germination. Seeds require 2 – 3 weeks for germination. Mechanical scarification works best for small seed lots and for large seed lots acid scarification from 60 – 120 minutes is better.

Nursery

The species can be direct seeded or established by seedlings. Babul seedlings are raised in polythene bags (5 cm x 22 cm, 150 -200 gauge). Treated seeds are sown, about 1.5 cm deep, 2-3 seeds in each bag in February – March (or May, for freshly collected seed) and regularly watered and weeded. Excessive watering should be avoided; shading is necessary to avoid surface cracking.

Plantation Management

Seedlings are fit for planting out in July – August of the same year (when 3-4 months old). For obtaining bigger plants, seeds is sown in June – July in bigger bags and one year old seedlings are planted out.

A. nilotica can grow on a variety of soils, provided sufficient moisture is available. It prefers well drained fresh alluvial sandy loam soil in riverain tracts, though it can grow on clay and black cotton soil also. It can stand mild soil salinity provided sufficient moisture is available. In its natural habitat, average rainfall is 400 to 1500 mm; fairly drought resistant, but thrives best in areas with 500-1250 mm.

Model/Spacing

2  x  3  m  spacing  is  ideal.  It  can  also  planted  in  contour trenches with 2 – 3 m apart.

Pests, diseases and Management

Insect is the stem borer Cerostema scabrator which affects young plantations, causing dieback. Leaf defoliators are Euproctis lunata and E. subnotata, which occasionally defoliate the plants.

Fungal disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum, which causes damping off in seedlings, and Fomes pappianus, a stem rot that attacks unhealthy trees.

Plant Rotation

30 Years for timber, 15- 20 years for tannin

Yield

40 – 45 m3  of wood per ha at the age of 30 years. 8 – 10 tonnes of pods per year per ha.

Uses

Leaves and pods are widely used as fodder. It is an extremely valuable source of fuel wood and charcoal of excellent quality. General utility of timbers for construction of carts, wheels, agricultural tools and implements, doors, windows, mine props, fencing materials etc. Bark yields best tannin. Babul gum is used in inks, paints, matches and confectionery. It also has medicinal values.

Buyers /Industries

Private buyers on exportersindia.com

Harvesting

For tannin it can be harvested in 8 – 10 years

Economic Returns

On an average a tree yields Rs. 30,000 – 40,000 per year.

Current Market Rate

Rs 600/cft