Sandalwood (Santalum album) and its Cultivation in India

About Sandalwood (Santalum album) and its Cultivation in India

• Sandalwood is a hemi-root parasitic plant, which means that it depends on other host plants for nutrients and water throughout its life cycle.
• Biological name: Its biological name is Santalum album.
• Distribution: It is distributed in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, East Asia, Eastern Indonesia, and northern Australia, inhabiting mainly dry tropical regions.
• Cultivation in India: In India, they are more concentrated in the southern region, especially Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
  • In recent years, cultivation has also expanded beyond the traditional southern states to Telangana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and parts of northern India.
  • In 2024, sandalwood plantations covered an estimated 23,000–30,000 hectares and were increasing by around 600 hectares each year.
• Properties:
  • It is commercially known as the East Indian sandalwood and its oil the East Indian sandalwood oil.
  • It is the second most expensive wood in the world, next to the African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon).
  • The heartwood that constitutes the central part of the tree is valued for its fragrance.
    • It is described as astringent, bitter, moderately hard, heavy, durable, yellow or brown in appearance, with an oily texture and is an exquisite material for carving intricate designs.
  • The outer wood (sapwood) or any other part of the tree has no scent.
  • It is hardy, drought-tolerant, requires fewer nutrients and can grow in different soil conditions.
• Uses:
  • It is widely used to make decorative and household items such as boxes, combs, jewellery cases and picture frames.
  • It is also considered sacred and is used in religious ceremonies, prayers and meditation.
  • The unscented sapwood is used for items like incense sticks.
  • Sandalwood oil is widely used in perfumes, cosmetics, aromatherapy and medicines.
• Benefits for farmer:
  • It is a high-value, climate-smart tree that can improve the environmental resilience of plantations.
  • It can be grown in block plantations, along farm boundaries and with other crops.
• Market projection:
  • The global sandalwood market, valued at $265.8 million in 2023, is expected to reach $502.2 million by 2030.
  • The sandalwood oil market is also projected to grow from $182.5 million in 2024 to $388.1 million by 2035.