Pongamia Cultivation

Importence of Pongamia pinnata

Day by day India and also rest of the world wide increasing Consumption and price of petroleum,diseal products and concerns about oil production are likely to have serious implications for the automobile industry in the future. The answer to the above requirement is to search for an alternative to the fast-depleting reserves of fossil fuel from renewable natural resources. The current manufacturing cost of ethanol and biodiesel in India is about same as petrol and diesel. This puts biofuels in a favorable position for meeting India’s energy needs, especially, as the cost of petrole�um is expected to continue its upward trend. India is the fourth largest ethanol producer only next to Brazil, USA, and China.

Introduction about Pongamia

Pongamia pinnata is a (Nitrogen fixing tree) leguminous tree known for its multipurpose benefits and as a potential source of biodiesel crop. Its added benefits to grow on marginal lands make it a suitable candidate in agro-forestry. These properties support the suitability of this plant for large-scale production required by a sustainable biodiesel industry.

Distribution: India and Myanmar. This species has been introduced to humid tropical low land in the Philipines, Malaysia, Australia, United States and Indonesia.

BOTANICAL INFORMATION:
Scientific name: Pongamia Pinnata
Family: Leguminosae
Origin Country : Its native to India
It grow Height: 30 to 40 feet
It grow Spread: 25 to 35 feet

ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Altitude: 0-1200 m,
Annual temperature: 27 to 38℃
annual rainfall: 500 to 2500 mm or more.

Soil type:
Pongamia Pinnata can grow on most soil types ranging from stony to sandy to clay, including Verticals. It grows well in both full sun and partial shade and can grow in most soil types. Mature trees can withstand water logging and slight frost.

Uses of pongamia tree:
It is a nitrogen-fixing tree, fodder and important tree borne oil seed of the leguminous family and also used as timber, fire wood, fodder, fibre, Manure, Food, Pest control, Poultry feed, Folk medicine.
Rotation periode : Grown in 30 years rotations for fuel wood
Spacing: 4m x3 m (or) 3×3 m (or) 5m×5m for block planting 6 x 8 m for avenue planting and 10feets by 10feets plant to plant distence by boarder plantation purpose.

Pongamia advantages in agriculture:
Pongamia (Pongamia pinnata) is a multipurpose leguminous tree containing non-edible oil grows throughout the India. Pongamia cake has rich source of minerals, amino acids, also contains secondary metabolites.

Pongamia oil contains fatty acids, Pongamia leaf contains nutrients.
Pongamia pinnata has a high nutritious value with macro and micronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and iron as an excellent fertilizer source in organic agriculture.
Historically, this plant has long been used in India and neighboring regions as a source of traditional medicines (cough, cold, mental disorders, leprosy, diarrhea, ulcers etc.),
as a fodder and feed, as a green leaf manure, as a timber, as a fish poison, as a soil binder, as a soil reclaimer, as a biofuel and also pollen source for mainly honey bees.
Pongamia cake has a good soil nutrient source improves soil fertility.
Oil extracted from the seeds of Pongamia is used in agriculture, pharmacy and as a biofuel.
It has similar insecticidal properties as neem oil and acts against a number of pests and insects.
Karanjin is the main active ingredient of Pongamia oil. It acts as an acaricide and insecticide while the cake (a byproduct after extracting oil) was found to be rich in all plant nutrients used as a source of plant nutrients.

Yield and Economics:
Trees often reach height in 5 to 6feets bearing at age of 5-7 years. A single tree is said to yield 10 to -80 kg seed per tree, indicating a yield potential of 800 to 8000 kg seed/ha, and seed contain oil around 20% to 25%.