Introductory Agroforestry

Azadirachta Indica

Botanical Name: Azadirachta indica A.

Common Name: Neem
Family : Meliaceae



Plate 18.2 Azadirachta indica A.


Description:-

• It is versatile, hardy Indian tree of great religious, medicinal and ornamental importance.
• It is a medium to large sized, handsome tree with rounded crown of bright green dense foliage, a stout, strong and glabrous branches.
• The bark on young trees is smooth, soft, moderately thick.
Distribution:-

• It grows throughout the greater parts of India, more especially in the drier parts of the country.
• It is absent in areas with excessive cold and as such dose not grow in Himalaya above 500-600m elevation.
• The species has been used to afforest drier tracts, ravines and refractory soils in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is also planted in Assam and Andaman islands.
Climate:-

Temperature - Maximum 40°-45°C Minimum 0°-15°C
Rainfall - 450-1125 mm

Soil:-

• It grows well on a wide variety of deep or shallow soils ranging from sandy soils in Rajasthan to clayey soils in Maharashtra,
• Does not survive on water-logged, highly saline or deep dry sand.
• Best growth is reported from black cotton soils
• It is salt tolerant species and suitable for afforesting saline and alkaline soils
Phenology:-

• It is semi-evergreen tree
• Leaf-fall - February-March
• Leaf renewal - March-April
• Flowering - April-May
• Fruiting - June-August
• Starts fruiting at the age of 5year but economic yield is obtained at the age of 10-12 year
• Medium size tree produce 35-37Kg fruits
• About 3300-4500 seeds weigh one Kg
• Seed collection - June-July
• Seed weight - 9-10 seeds per gm
• Seed viability - 6-8 weeks, Reduces rapidly after 2 weeks
• Germination per cent - Fresh seeds upto 86%
Silvicultural characters:-

• Strong light demander,
• Tolerates fairly heavy shade in early years,
• Susceptible to fire and browsing damage,
• Seedling and saplings are very sensitive to frost
• Seedlings are intolerant of water logging conditions
• It can withstand drought better than excessive rainfall
• It coppices well and produce root suckers in dry locality