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Sandalwood (Srigandham) cultivation

Indian sandalwood (Santalum album), known as srigandham in Telugu and chandan in Hindi, is a slow-growing aromatic timber and oil-yielding tree native to peninsular India. It is a hemiparasitic species that depends on living host plants to obtain water and nutrients through specialised root structures called haustoria. The Institute of Wood Science and Technology (ICFRE-IWST), Bengaluru, maintains India's national Sandalwood Information System and leads research on cultivation, host plants and conservation.

Key characteristics

  • Scientific name: Santalum album
  • Life form: hemiparasitic small to medium tree, typically 4-9 m at maturity
  • Hosts: requires a host plant from early seedling stage; superior performance documented with a three-species mix of custard apple, curry leaf and casuarina
  • Climate: dry to sub-humid tropics; tolerant of moderate drought
  • Heartwood maturity: 15-30 years for commercial heartwood and oil

Cultivation

Seedlings are raised in nurseries alongside a temporary host (often Cajanus cajan or Casuarina equisetifolia) and transplanted with the host to ensure haustorial attachment. Long-term hosts are planted in the same pit or in the adjoining row at the time of field planting. Spacings of around 3 x 3 m to 4 x 4 m are common in plantations, with closer spacings for early thinning. Drip irrigation, basin manuring and protection from cattle and theft are routine concerns.

Pest and disease profile

Spike disease, caused by a phytoplasma, has historically been a major threat in Karnataka sandalwood plantations and is still monitored by ICFRE-IWST. Stem borers and termites are the principal insect pests.

Adoption and use

Sandalwood is grown commercially across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and in private and farm-forestry plantings under state-specific transit-permit and harvesting regulations. The harvested heartwood yields essential oil prized in perfumery and traditional medicine. Harvesting is regulated under state forest department rules, which growers must comply with for legal sale of timber and oil.

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References

  1. Sandalwood Cultivation. Sandalwood Information System, ICFRE-IWST Bengaluru.
  2. Sandalwood Research. ICFRE-IWST.