Effect of Ethephon on Gum Production from Acacia senegal (L.) Tree Madariya R. B., Kanzaria D. R.*, Polara N. D., Ansodaria V. V., Patel H. N., Malam V. R. Department of Horticulture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh-362001, Gujarat *email: dilipkanzaria@yahoo.com
Online published on 2 January, 2017. Abstract Acacia senegal L. willd is mostly found on sand stones and skeletal soils and widely distributed in Gujarat. Gum is important ingredient in various industries and pharmaceutical medicines and useful for flavor of soft drinks, spray dried instant food, paper, textile, adhesive minerals, cosmetics, soaps and ceramics and beverage industries. With little attention a large potential can be tapped for the betterment of farmers community, landless labours and industries too. Keeping large farmers’ community and landless labours in view the experiment was laid out in randomized block design comprising ten treatments and replicated thrice to tap gum from the Acacia senegal plants. The solution was injected during 1st week of March of consecutive year from 2010 to 2013. The injected hole was then sealed with moist soil to avoid evaporation and other losses. By the application of various concentrations of ethephon to the Acacia senegal trees it was found that early gum oozing (13 days after application of treatment), period of gum oozing (84 days) the higher gum production (177.25 g/tree) and maximum (3.66 B: C ratio) economic net return by application of 900 ppm ethephon [4.5 ml Ethral (1000 ppm) + 0.5 ml Water] by drilling 5cm hole on stem of Acacia senegal during first week of March. Top Keywords Acacia senegal, ethephon application, Gum yield and economics. Top |