IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFERENT HOST PLANTS IN COMMERCIALLY GROWN SANDAL WOOD (SANTALUM ALBUM) PLANTATIONS IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

Sandalwood (Santalum album) is an obligatory parasite plant that needs an adequate host to survive. Primary in-pot hosts, intermediate hosts, and long-term (secondary) hosts are the three stages of parasitism which have so far been recognized. The success of the establishment and survival of sandalwood plants in the field depends entirely on the other woody plants that could serve as hosts. Through root associations known as haustoria, which are vascular connections between the roots of sandalwood and its host plant, sandalwood obtains certain supplements from its host plant. Trees contribute to its growth. Thus, this study was conducted to identify intermediate and long-term (secondary) host plants in eight different commercial sandalwood plantations, which belong to Sadaharitha Plantations, representing five districts in Sri Lanka. Identification of host plants was made by carefully observing the presence of nodule-like haustoria in the root system and the physical connection between host roots and sandalwood roots. A total of 21 host plant species, namely: Sesbenia grandiflora (Kathurumurunga), Acacia acuminate (Acacia), Clitoria ternatea (Katarolu), Lantana camara (Gadapana), Leucaena leucocephala (Ipil ipil), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Crotalaria juncea (Sunn hemp), Imperata cylindrica (Iluk), Achyranthes aspera (Karal sabo), Tectona grandis (Teak), Coccos nucifera (Coconut), Vernoina zeylanica (Pupula), Tithonia diversifolian (Wild sun flower), Vigna unguiculata (Cowpea), Camonea umbellate (Madu wel), Ipomoea pestigridis (Diwi pahuru), Musa spp (Banana), Gliricidia sepium (Gliricidia), Passiflora foetida (Pada), Grewia orientalis (Wel Keliya) were identified as intermediate or long-term host plants. Long-term further studies are needed to evaluate their comparative effeteness as host plants before recommending them as host plants for commercial-scale sandalwood plantations.

Keywords

• sandalwood
• haustoria
• host plants
• sri lanka