Sandalwood Growers’ Guide

Here’s a comprehensive technical overview and growers’ guide for Sandalwood (Santalum spp.), including agroforestry integration and SC-CO₂ oil applications — aligned with your existing Nutmeg, Agarwood, Elemi portfoliofor CAPI/COPI operations.

🌳 

1 — Overview

  • Scientific name: Santalum album (Indian Sandalwood), Santalum spicatum (Australian Sandalwood)
  • Family: Santalaceae
  • Origin: India, Southeast Asia, Australia
  • Products: Heartwood, essential oil, powder, cosmetic extracts
  • Economic importance: High-value timber and oil crop; perfumery, aromatherapy, medicinal uses

2 — Climate & Soil Requirements

  • Temperature: 25–35°C optimal
  • Rainfall: 500–1,200 mm/year (well-drained soils); drought-tolerant once established
  • Soil: Sandy, loamy, well-drained soils; pH 6–7.5
  • Altitude: Sea level to 1,000 m

Key Note: Sandalwood is semi-parasitic; requires host plants for optimal growth in early years (legumes, coffee, or Nutmeg in agroforestry systems).

3 — Propagation

3.1 Seed Propagation

  • Collect mature seeds (brown, fully ripe)
  • Remove pulp, soak 24–48 h in water to break dormancy
  • Germination: 4–12 weeks, maintain 25–30°C, light shade
  • Pre-germination treatment: Gibberellic acid (GA₃) 500 ppm may enhance germination

3.2 Vegetative Propagation

  • Air layering: Limited success
  • Stem cuttings: Low success, enhanced with auxins
  • Tissue culture / organogenesis (COPI R&D): Shoot apices or nodal segments for clonal elite chemotypes

4 — Nursery Management

  • Potting mix: Sand:loam:compost (1:1:1)
  • Watering: Maintain moderate moisture; avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilization: NPK + organic matter; avoid excessive nitrogen (promotes leaf growth over oil accumulation)
  • Host integration: Grow seedlings near host plants (legumes like Sesbania, Erythrina) for early parasitic root connections

5 — Planting & Agroforestry Integration

  • Spacing: 3–5 m × 3–5 m (400–1,100 trees/ha)
  • Host trees: Legumes, Nutmeg, Agarwood, or Elemi for early growth support
  • Agroforestry model:
    • Top canopy: Nutmeg (or Elemi)
    • Mid-layer: Agarwood (if intercropped)
    • Understory / scattered: Sandalwood (parasitic seedlings attach to host roots)
  • Benefits: Shade regulation, diversified revenue streams, improved soil fertility

6 — Fertilization & Soil Management

  • Sandalwood prefers low nutrient soils; moderate NPK helps establish growth
  • Organic compost improves soil structure
  • Host trees provide additional nutrient support via root parasitism

7 — Irrigation

  • Young trees: 2–3 times/week during dry season
  • Mature trees: Tolerant to seasonal drought; minimal irrigation required

8 — Pruning & Canopy Management

  • Minimal pruning needed for heartwood accumulation
  • Thin crossing branches only; maintain access for host root connections
  • Target: Promote long straight bole for timber and essential oil

9 — Flowering & Fruit

  • Flowering: 6–8 years (seed-grown), 4–5 years (grafted/tissue-cultured)
  • Fruits: Small drupes; bird dispersal
  • Seed production: Used for propagation and reforestation

10 — Harvesting

  • Timber harvest: 15–20 years for commercial heartwood
  • Essential oil: Heartwood oil yield 2–5% of dry wood
  • SC-CO₂ extraction: High-quality oil fraction suitable for perfumery, aligns with CESI operations

11 — Pest & Disease Management

  • Pests: Scale insects, stem borers
  • Diseases: Root rot, fungal infections
  • Integrated pest management and healthy host tree interactions reduce issues

12 — Postharvest & Oil Processing

  • Wood processing: Chip or powder for oil extraction
  • SC-CO₂ extraction: Maintains aroma integrity, yields fractionated oil
  • Oil uses: Luxury perfumery, cosmetics, aromatherapy, spa products

13 — Yield & Productivity

  • Heartwood yield: 30–50 kg/tree (mature)
  • Essential oil yield: 2–5% of heartwood weight
  • ROI: Long-term, but high-value product
  • Suitable for integration with Nutmeg and Agarwood for staggered harvest and revenue diversification

14 — Sustainability & Certification

  • Sustainable harvesting critical due to endangered status (CITES Appendix II for S. album)
  • Track provenance and chemotype for SC-CO₂ oil extraction
  • Agroforestry model promotes biodiversity and carbon sequestration

If you want, I can now create a full “Sandalwood + Nutmeg + Agarwood” integrated agroforestry model with visual layout, staggered harvest timeline, and financial projections, similar to what we did for Nutmeg + Agarwood.

Do you want me to make that next?