Melia dubia is one of the fastest growing trees in the world and considered as a money spinning tree of short rotation due to its high demand in pulpwood, plywood and timber industries. It is a good fuel and fodder yielding tree.
Melia dubia originates from the Meliaceae family and is an indigenous species of tree to India, South East Asia and Australia, where it has been cultivated as a source of firewood.
Melia dubia is also called as a Maha neem or Forest neem. Which is fastest growing tree species, with in 7 to 8b years the plantation is ready to harvest.
Importence of Timber & Wood
India is under tremendous pressure to meet the growing demand for timber , wood and wood based products. The wood from fast growing trees is becoming a preferred wood material by many wood industries for various products as wood of conventional(ex: Teak,Rose wood,Mango…etc) tree species having high durability is no longer available in sufficient quantity for various applications. Hence, the nation has to necessarily depend upon fast growing plantation species as the sustainable source of wood in future. The wood quality of these species is affected due to faster growth and short rotation. Among various fast growing species, planted in the country. Like this Scenario Melia dubia commonly known as Malabar neem and locally called as Malabar vepa in Telugu is an industrially and economically important fast growing multipurpose tree species, which can be harvested on a short rotation basis@ 6 to 8years. The wood from this species has emerged as an important resource for the plywood, pulp and Furniture Based industries.
Distribution of Malabar Species:
Distribution of the species is dependent upon the locality (biotic and abiotic) factors – (climate, soil, topography, biotic factor including management). Species usually have their specific nitch and in those suitable conditions of stable habitat, the species remains stable with the least competition. It is likely that these ecological interactions are normally underestimated and unscientific efforts are made for adaptation of the species away from their usual ecological nitch. In the changing climatic conditions, the habitats have been disturbed, making adaptability of the species unstable. The management conditions are also changing with refined technologies which extend the area of distribution of the species. Stability of the habitat has helped the scientists to develop species distribution models, which help in applying this information for various scientific and applied issues. Distribution of the Melia dubia at present remains limited to the southern states but the fast growth of the species has attracted the attention of the farmers and foresters in other parts of the country too.
It is distributed In India, Sri Lanka…
some other countries also. In India, Melia dubia is found in Tamilnaadu, karnataka, Sikkim, Himalayas, North Bengal
Upper Assam, Khasi Hills, Hills of Orissa, Deccan plateau, Nallamalai
hills and Western Ghats from southwards of South Canara at an altitude
ranging between 1400 and 1800m above.
Description of Melia dubia:
Common name: Malabar Neem (or)
Malabar Vepa
Family. : Meliaceae
Species. : M. Dubia
Telugu name. : Malabar vepa
Famous Malabar Species:
1. M.Dubia
2. M.Azedarach
3. M.Composita
4. M.Volkensii
Note: Melia dubia is a famous species compared remains three.
Malabar neem or Malabar vepa is a large deciduous to semi evergreen tree, grows up to 30 to 40 meter in height with a spreading crown and a cylindrical straight bole of about 8 to 10 m length and 2 to 3 m girth. Bark is smooth, greenish when young, turning dark brown when mature and fissures forming large rectangular flakes peels off with age. Main trunk has few or no branches arising from about 6 to 8m. Young branchlets are scurfy tomentose, terete, turning glabrous on maturity into branchlets.
Environmental Requirements
Soil type:
sandy,clayey and shallow stony. Good drainage is a Common characteristic required.
Temperature: 15℃ to 40℃
Rain fall: 500- 900mm
Sea level: 0- 1600m
Commercial Uses of Melia Dubia:
It is a one of the good timber,wood and pulp for different kinds of Industries and also the most preferred species for plywood ,Veneer, Timber and Fire wood industry. The wood is also used for packing cases costly machine,
ceiling planks, building material, agriculture tools, pencils, match boxes, musical instruments, tea boxes, Fuel for power Industries, Leaves are Best Fodder for Animal.., Leaves are Best pest Controller in Cultivation practice.. as the wood is anti-termite by itself. Thus, the species has a ready and assured market due to its multipurpose utilities.
Melia dubia Marketing Information
So many paper,pulp and plywood industries are there in India.Today per tonne melia dubia timber value is Rs.4500 to 7500 per Tonne at today’s price. Some famous companies are…
1. Sesha sai paper & boards Limited
2. Century ply
3. Ambi ply
Agroforestry practices
Melia is a good agroforestry species and supports a variety of crops throughout its cultivation period. Ground nut, chilli, turmeric, blackgram, papaya, banana, melon, sugarcane, as inter crops are being successfully cultivated. The species performs exceedingly well when planted on bunds, attaining the harvestable size within four years.
DEMAND vs SUPPLY OF TIMBER IN INDIA
Urbanisation and rapid industrialization in India demand huge volume of wood and wood production, since the Government-owned natural forests are legally closed and there is a gradual decline of raw materials from the existing natural forests. There is a need to develop agro and farm forestry mechanisms to become self-reliant in raw material availability. Though agroforestry is not a new land use system but its role in industrial utility is only of recent origin. There are several species promoted through agroforestry but only few of them like Pulp and paper wood Poplars (Ex: Eucalyptus and Subabul and Causirina) have been deployed with more than 80% share in the plywood production. Quality wood is a major concern in plywood production which demands medium density and increased veneer recovery coupled with freeness from borer attack. For this purpose, Malabar Neem, Mahagony and other speedy growth trees has been one of the potential and alternative raw material resources due to its medium density and increased veneer recovery compared to the existing raw material resources.
Though the overall demand for wood and associated products has remained stagnant, their demand for furniture, panels & plywood has increased by 25% in the country in the past 5 years as per the ” India Timber Supply and Demand 2010 – 2030″ Report released by International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), an intergovernmental body.
The import of rough sawn wood, veneer sheet, & fiberboard has been increased during the last few years , says the ITTO report.
India produces about 47 million cu m of round wood & associated products a year, while their annual demand is 57-58 million cu m.The study forecasts a jump of nearly 70% in demand for round wood in India in the next decade, from 57-65 million m3 in 2025-2030 to above 98 million cu m in 2035-2040 driven largely by the construction sector. India’s import dependence has particularly increased over the past three decades due to a series of policy developments. The annual harvest of timber from forests declined from 10 million cu m in the 1970’s to 4 million cu m by 1990, says the ITTO report.
There will be a substantial increase in wood consumption in India by 2030, exacerbating an existing shortfall between wood production and demand and increasing the country’s reliance on wood imports, according to an ITTO report.
Today it is easier to import wood than increase domestic production. While this arrangement has worked so far, it might not last long. India relies on imports to meet 20% of its demand. India is the 20th largest importer of wood & wood products in the world.
Forestry Trees & Agro forestry models play an important role in the social-economic development of a country like India. They are rich sources of energy, housing, firewood, timber and fodder and they provide employment to a large section of the rural population.Increased production will also generate rural employment opportunities. When the wood is imported only the people living close to a few harbours benefit. When Agro forestry species are harvested it generates employment for the rural population.
