DIMAPUR, Nov 12: The foothill areas of Nagaland showed potential for sandalwood cultivation due to favourable moisture conditions and fertile soil, scientists from the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) said.
A team from the ICFRE-Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), Bengaluru, ICFRE-Institute of Forest Biodiversity (IFB), and ICFRE-Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat, visited different parts of Nagaland on Tuesday.
The team assessed the growth of sandalwood, heartwood development in mature trees, and the suitability of the state's soil and climatic conditions. The scientists said heartwood development in mature trees was satisfactory, indicating encouraging prospects for cultivation.
The Nagaland Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department held a coordination meeting with the scientists at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat in Kohima on Wednesday. Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema chaired the meeting.
The department is exploring the potential for commercial cultivation of sandalwood and red sanders in the state in collaboration with ICFRE scientists. Dr Swapnendu Pattanaik, Director, IFB, Dr BN Diwakara, Scientist-F, IWST, Dr Satyam Bordoloi, Scientist-E, RFRI, and Dr Rakesh Kumar Prajapat, Scientist, RFRI, presented their findings and technical assessments.
The scientists also presented positive findings from studies conducted in adjoining areas of Diphu in Assam to support their assessment of the region's suitability for sandalwood cultivation.
