Insect pests of Gmelina arborea (Kumil in Tamil)

Dear Friends,

We all accept the adage that 'A picture is worth more than a thousand words'. This preamble is necessary since this post bear more photos and a few words. 

As in my earlier post, here also I heavily relied on the photographs and subject content of Dr.Balu, Scientist, Forest Protection Division, IFGTB, Coimbatore on 'Insect pests of Gmelina arborea' (Kumil in Tamil).

Insect pests are broadly classified as:

• Defoliators  
• Leaf miners  
• Sapsuckers
• Gall makers
• Root feeders
• Shoot borers
• Bark feeders   

In general, Gmelina arborea (Kumil) is susceptible to pest attack, hence  farmers avoid planting them as inter crop inside orchards. One of the main causes of Gmelina arborea's poor bole form attributes to this high incidence of pest attack. 
Some of the insects that cause damage to Gmelina arborea (Kumil) plantation are discussed here under:
Leaf Miners:
Leaf miner is larva of an insect that lives in and eats the leaf tissue of plants. For more info: Click.  

Sap Suckers:

Organisms involved:

Aphids, Psyllids (Jumping plant lice), Plant bugs, Scales, Mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, thrips, Whitefly and mites.

Damage caused:

Chlorosis,

curling and bunching,

yellowing and withering of leaves,

wilting and drying of entire seedlings.

Inject toxic salivary secretions and responsible for spread of viral, fungal, mycoplasmal and bacterial diseases. 

In farmer's meetings (and nowadays in many Agri portals also) most of the Gmelina (Kumil) growers used to lament that growing tip (Young shoot) of young Gmelina plants got dried up resulting in growth retardation and branching.

Root cause of this attack is usually by the Tingid bug shown in the picture below. It sucks the sap from the leaves and young shoots resulting in curling, drying and withering of not only leaves but also tender shoot tips. Farmer  may incur severe economic loss if this bug attack is not managed well properly.   

Defoliators:

Organisms involved:

            Caterpillars, Bagworms, Beetles and Weevils,

            Grass hoppers and Slugs.

Damage caused:

            Feed on growing points of plants,

            Feed on entire leaves, 

            Feed on surface tissue,

            Notch the edge of leaves,

            Leaves riddled with smaller to larger irregular holes, 

            Roll up and web the leaves and feed. 

            Browse the bark,

            Cut the stem.

Wing/Wingless Grosshoppers:

Borers:

•         Shoot borer

•         Bark feeding borer/feeder

•         Stem borer

•         Stem and root borer

Goats likes to eat the bark of Gmelina, resulting in permanent injury to the stem. In the picture published here, the damage is caused by Bear. One of the effective ways to ward off animals in the unfenced farm land is by applying fresh cow dung + cow urine mixture on the stem upto a height of 5 feet.  

On field trials in my farm, I found out that Entomopathogenic fungi: either

Beauveria bassiana or Metarhyzium anisopliae in association with Verticillium lecanii  were pathogenic to all pests of Gmelina. Beauveria bassiana was found to be more effective than Metarhizium anisopliae. 

Click on the names to learn more about these bio-control agents.

Trials were conducted in my Acid Lime orchards and Moringa orchards (Drumstick tree) also. A minimum of two to three sprays is necessary for complete control of pests. Subsequently, the number of spray applications (No. of cycles) per season will come down and you will be surprised to observe that there is increase in time between spray cycles also.  

To know about Mechanical, Cultural, Behavioural, Botanical, Biological and 

Chemical control of all the above Sucking pests and leaf eating caterpillars 

please visit: Ppt presentation on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by 

(the same author) Dr.Balu, a renowned Entomologist. The above Ppt

presentation is also uploaded in top right side of this blog which can be 

used as a ready reckoner by our readers for the control of Insects and 

diseases in almost all the crops. 

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

Book on Gmelina arborea (KUMIL) Tamil edition.

Some snippets from IFGTB 'Tree Growers Mela -2012:

Part - 1

I would like to bring to our readers some interesting and useful information from the "Tree Growers Mela" organized by The Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore on 23rd and 24th February, 2012. (Part - 1)

Book on Gmelina arborea (KUMIL) Tamil edition:

A book on Gmelina arborea (Tamil edition) has been released by IFGTB. English edition is under preparation and will be published soon. This nice little book is a must for Kumil farmers and the new planters as it contains elaborate information in simple farmers language. Some of the topics covered by this book are listed here:

• General information about the tree, flowers, fruits, seeds, seed collection, storage, seed handling, nursery raising Etc.
  
• Maintenance of seedlings
• Vegetative propagation
• Plantation methods
• Silvicultural characteristics
• Planting space
• Pests and diseases
• Importance of pruning and mulching
  
• Recommended intercrops
• Wood properties (Both physical and chemical)
  
• Timber characteristics
• Wood processing
  
• Uses
• Growth statistics
• Economics
• Comparison with Eucalyptus for using kumil wood pulp for paper making.
  

Thanks to Dr.S.Saravanan for his meticulous efforts in compiling this useful book. This book can be purchased from : The Director, IFGTB, PB:1061, Forest campus, Coimbatore - 641 002, Tamilnadu. Price Rs.70/- Tel No.04222484142.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar

Some more pictures and informations about 'KUMIL'- Gmelina arborea

Sprouting of KUMIL (Gmelina arborea) seeds in protrays:

Gmelina arborea (kumil)

Kumil - Gmelina arborea seedlings in protrays:

Kumil - Gmelina arborea seedlings in polybags:

Kumil - Gmelina arborea seedlings in various stages of development in poly bags:


Proper pruning is very important in Kumil - Gmelina arborea cultivation. The pruning techniques were discussed in detail in my earlier posts.

What we need is a flaw less, neat, straight bole that fetches a good price in the market. Follow the following simple 7 steps from the beginning to avoid economic losses at the time of harvest.

1. Good seed selection
2. Plants raised in polybags must be planted within 3 months.
3. Daily drip irrigation for the initial 2 years.(OR)
4. Weekly flood irrigation.
5. Fortnightly pruning.
6. Monthly fertilizer application.
7. Maximum care for the first 2 years by following INM, IPM and IDM practices.

Kumil is prone to this type of common Caterpillar attack which can be easily controlled either by organic pest control preparations or by any chemical 'contact' pesticides:



Regards,
Vishnu Sankar

Some Kumil pictures (Gmelina arborea):

Gmelina arborea - Kumil Seeds:



Kumil in farm nursery:


Injury to the bark at the age of 1 year:


The above same injury leads to this kind of growth at the age of 7 years:


Kumul and Kaya:



Kumil:



Kumil and Rosewood:

Reply to a query on Gmelina Arborea

Name of the plant - Gmelina arborea (Tamil : Kumil, Kumul)

Here is the query from Mr.Anonymous.

Respected Mr. Vishnu Sankar,

I'm Anonymous, totally new to the field of agriculture, having 21 acres land in AP which I found is suitable for growing most varieties of teak. But my constraint is that my waiting period is max. 8-10 years.I have adequate irrigation facilities. Could you be kind enough to pls guide which variety or approach is best suited for my needs? Could you also pls guide as to the number of trees possible per acre for the variety suited for my query?

I have read your messages regarding kumil, east indian rose wood etc. In response to your messages on kumil, 1 of the respondents "xxxxx farms" mentioned that his each 8 year old kumil or gummadi tree(gmelina arborea) was offered Rs. 8000/- per tree. Sir is that possible & true?

Sir, your guidance will be most precious & invaluable for me.
Kindly guide & oblige.
Regards,
Abhema
--------------------
My reply to our beloved anonymous tree grower:

Dear Sir,

You can select either Gmelina Arborea (kumil in Tamil, gummadi in Telugu) or Melia Dubia (Konda Vepa in Telugu, Malai Vembu in Tamil) for your conditions, since you want to wait for 10 years only.

Under well irrigated conditions a decent value of timber can be had from both the varieties on 10th year.

Out of 500 Kumil trees of 8 year old trees in our farm only about 100 attained 75cm girth, and only 10 attained above 90.

Spacing for both Kumil and Melia Dubia:

If planted in field bunds and borders: Min 2m to max 3m is enough.
For bulk planting: min spacing 3m x 3m to a max of 4m x 4m is needed.

Please bear in mind that climatic conditions of your area, your soil and water quality will determine the correct spacing.

So, analyze, plant and prosper.

Thanking u,

Vishnu Sankar

Gmelina arborea (Tamil :Kumil)

Name of the plant - Gmelina arborea (Tamil : Kumil, Kumul)



‘N’ fixing capacity - NO

Fodder Tree - Good Fodder

Deciduous - NO

Drought tolerance - YES. Without water even up to 7 months

Soil type / pH range - Red soil, Calciferous, Mixed soil. The tree will die if planted in high clay soil and in water logging area after initial establishment.

Tolerance to water logging - No tolerance. Tree wil die.

Seeds - 1200 to 1400 seeds / kg

Germination - 90%

Vegetative propagation - Possible

Spacing for border planting - 2 m x 2 m

For bulk planting - 5 m x 5 m

Maturity - Min 5 years to Max 10 years

Growth : - In normal condition: 12 m Ht to 15 m Ht with a girth of 40 inches and in irrigated conditions max 30 m Ht with a dia of 60 – 70 inches.

Yield - 25 – 30 Sq.m / Hect / Year

Timber Density - 0.42 to 0.64, Hard wood,

Weight - 480 Kgs / sq. m

Uses - For furniture, Paper mills, particle boards, match boxes, match sticks and craft paper.

Ratoon - Good. Ratoon crop attains maturity in 5 Years.

Special features if any - Prone to pest attack. Bulk cropping attracts more pests (Borers) so go for mixed cropping. Continuous pruning is necessary. Performs well even in dry areas but tremendous growth is noticed in irrigated conditions. Can be grown as wind belt. It is one of the fastest growing trees in the world.


For more Gmelina arborea - KUMIL pictures : Click here

For more cultivation details on Gmelina arborea - KUMIL: Click here

For queries and comments on Gmelina arborea - KUMIL: Click here

Gmelina arborea (Tamil :Kumil)

Name of the plant - Gmelina arborea (Tamil : Kumil, Kumul)

Dear Friends,

Gmelina arborea (Tamil : Kumil Tree or Kumul) is a rapidly growing tree, which due to its drought tolerance and excellent wood properties, is emerging as an important plantation species. The contents I have given below are gleaned from various websites and edited for your easy reading.

Gmelina arborea From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Local names
Gmelina arborea is locally called by different names in different languages:
• Assamese- gomari
• Bengali- gamari, gambar, gumbar
• Gujarati- Shewan, Sivan
• Hindi- gamhar, khamara, khumbhari, sewan
• Kannada- kulimavu, kumbuda, kumulu
• Kasmiri- mara, shivani
• Latvian - gmelīne
• Malayalam- kumbil, kumbulu, kumilu, kumiska, pokki
• Maltese - sigra
• Marathi- shivan, siwan
• Oriya- bhodropornni, gambari, kumar
• Punjabi- gumhar, kumhar
• Sanskrit- bhadraparni, gambhari, gandhari, kasmari,
krishnavrintaka, sarvatobhadra, shriparni
• Tamil- kumla, kumalamaram, kumil, ummithekku
• Telugu- gumartek, gummadi, summadi
• Sinhala- Demata
Tree characteristics

Gmelina arborea is a fast growing deciduous tree, which though grows on different localities at altitudes up to 1500 meters and prefers moist fertile valleys with 750-4500 mm rainfall. It does not thrive on ill-drained soils and remains stunted on dry, sandy or poor soils; drought also reduces it to a shrubby form.

The Gmelina arborea tree attains moderate to large height up to 30 m with girth of 1.2 to 4.5 m with a clear bole of 9-15 m. It has a smooth whitish grey (ashy) corky bark, warty with lenticular tubercles exfoliating in regular patches when old.

It is a treat to see the Gmelina arborea tree standing straight with clear bole having branches on top and thick foliage forming a conical crown on the top of the tall stem. The bark is light grey coloured, exfoliating in light coloured patches when old, blaze thick, a chlorophyll layer just under the outer bark, pale yellow white inside.

Gmelina arborea wood is pale yellow to cream coloured or plukish-buff when fresh, turning yellowish brown on exposure and is soft to moderately hard, light to moderately heavy, lustrous when fresh, usually straight to irregular or rarely wavy grained and medium course textured. Flowering takes place during February to April when the tree is more or less leafless whereas fruiting starts from May onwards up to June.

This tree is commonly planted as a garden and an avenue tree and also in villages along agricultural land, on village community lands and on wastelands. It is light demander, tolerant of excessive drought, but moderately frost hardy, has good capacity to recover in case of frost- injury.

This tree coppices (a thicket of small trees or shrubs; coppice) very well with vigorous growth. Saplings and young plants need protection from deer and cattle.

Utilization of the species
Gmelina arborea timber is reasonably strong for its weight. It is used in constructions, furniture, carriages, sports, musical instruments and artificial limbs. Once seasoned, it is a very steady timber and moderately resistant to decay and ranges from very resistant to moderately resistant to termites.

Medicinal uses
The root and bark of Gmelina arborea are stomachic, galactagogue laxative and anthelmintic; improve appetite, useful in hallucination, piles, abdominal pains, burning sensations, fevers, 'tridosha' and urinary discharge. Leaf paste is applied to relieve headache and juice is used as wash for ulcers.
Flowers are sweet, cooling, bitter, acrid and astringent. They are useful in leprosy and blood diseases.
In Ayurveda, it has been observed that Gamhar fruit is acrid, sour, bitter, sweet, cooling, diuretic tonic, aphrodisiac, alternative astringent to the bowels, promote growth of hairs, useful in 'vata', thirst, anaemia, leprosy, ulcers and vaginal discharge.
The plant is recommended in combination with other drugs for the treatment of snakebite and scorpion sting. In snakebite a decoction of the root and bark is given internally.

References
GAMHAR (Gmelina arborea): Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun

Performance of Gmelina arborea with Vam Inoculation in Acid Soil
Result: VAM inoculated seedlings were significantly taller than the uninoculated trees. Gmelina inoculated with VAM was significantly bigger and produced higher biomass compared to the control.

Pests and diseases:
Perhaps the greatest threat to plantations of this tree is damage due to pests and diseases. Numerous insect pests and pathogens have been recorded in stands of gmelina in areas where the trees are native.
• Some fungal pathogens have been introduced into areas where the trees have been established as exotics. Among these, leaf spot caused by Pseudocercospora ranjita is most widespread although it has not caused any substantial damage. A serious vascular wilt disease caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata in Brazil has caused the most significant failure of G. arborea in plantations.
• In plantations within the natural range of the tree, insects have caused substantial damage. Among these, the defoliator Calopepla leayana (Chrysomelidae) appears to be most important. No serious insect pest problems have been recorded where G. arborea is grown as an exotic.
All indications are that pathogens and insect pests will become much more serious impediments to the propagation of gmelina in the future. However, excellent opportunities exist to resolve such problems through biological control of insects and integrated disease and pest management.

In addition, gmelina can be vegetatively propagated and thus, breeding and selection for insect and pathogen tolerance will facilitate the propagation of healthy trees.

The species has generated much interest because of its fast growth (the wood density of gmelina is approximately 410 kg/m3 at 8 years of age) and quick return on investment.

Provenance research in Gmelina arborea Linn., Roxb.
Can be seen in this link:
http://www.sl.kvl.dk/upload/gmelinaapfinal.pdf









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