A review of dipterocarps - Center for International Forestry Research

Non-Timber Forest Products from Dipterocarps
content in the bark of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus is
24%, while young leaves have 10-12% and may be used
in direct light leather tanning. Sal bark, together with the
leaves and twigs, is also a promising tanning material.
The tannin content is: bark 7%, young leaves 20%, twigs
and leaves 22% and powder dust 12%. The aqueous
extract of bark is a pale reddish colour and the tannins
are of pyrogallol type. The extract is used locally for
cheap tanning or in a blend with other tanning materials.
The dry leaves of H. odorata contain 10% tannin and
are used in crude tannery. The tannin extract is rich and
produces strong leather (Anon. 1985a, Agarwal 1986).
The fruit of Vateria indica contains 25% tannin.
Lac Host
A few dipterocarps are known to host the lac insect
(Lacifer lacca), a source of lac. Shorea roxburghii, a
species found in Burma and India, is a valuable host in
South India, and yields a good crop when inoculated with
‘Deverbettakusum’ variety in Karnataka. Shorea talura
is another important lac host plant of Karnataka in India
(Krishnamurthy 1993). Shorea obtusa, a species found
in Burma, is an occasional host and sal is the source of
the ‘Kusumi’ strains of lac insect.
Other Products
In addition to the important products described above
there are other dipterocarp NTFPs. The sal tree yields
many of these products. Its leaves are a good source of
income to the tribals in India who make them into plates
and cups or use them as wrappers for home-made cigars.
They are also used for thatching huts in the villages and
as a medium to poor grade fodder containing 0.94%
nitrogen and 2.97% ash. Sal leaves are one of the primary
hosts of tassar silk-worm (Antheraea mylitta). Roasted
sal seeds, although not very palatable, are sometimes
eaten, and decorticated seeds are used as poultry feed.
Dried seed meal contains: moisture 5.23%; protein
6.16%; ether extractive 16.77%, crude fibre 4.81%, N.
free extractive 63.25%, calcium 0.18%, total ash 3.78%
and acid insoluble ash 0.95%.
A light grey, somewhat granular cellulose gum is
prepared from the bleached, bright cellulose obtained
from the spent bark. This compares favourably with
commercial grade technical gums. The cellulose from
the spent bark is also suitable for making wrapping paper.
Lignins from wood waste are used as wood-adhesive. The
bark is oily, bitter, acrid and anthelmintic and can cure
194
ulcers, wounds and itches. It is also a useful raw material
for fibreboards (WOI 1988). Sal oil cake, used as cattle
and poultry feed, contains 10-12% protein and about 50%
starch. It can also be used as a fertiliser. Sal flowers are
produced in abundance and are the source of honey. Santal
tribals use the bark for preparing red and black dyes and
wood ash in dyeing.
A number of minor products derived from the wood
also need mention. Wood of Shorea robusta and Vatica
lanceaefolia is extensively used as firewood and for
making charcoal. However, fuelwood should only be
harvested at the time of clear felling at fixed rotations
when unsuitable wood for timber can be utilised for
firewood and charcoal making. The branches and thick
twigs can be converted into charcoal in a specially
designed kiln for supplementing the energy requirements
after converting charcoal into briquettes. Briquetted
charcoal and sawdust are good fuels for domestic and
industrial purposes. Briquettes made with suitable
binders from inferior grade gum, gum resin or pulp and
juice from Agave/Furcraea species (Verma et al. 1979,
Gulati et al. 1983) without the traditional use of clay
and molasses ignite easily, do not emit smoke and
provide sustained heat.
The sal tree is considered to be the home of spirits
and many gods, and tribals build their shrines under its
shade and worship the tree as a whole. The Bagdis and
Bauris tribes of Bengal are married under an arbour made
of its branches. The sal tree in full bloom is worshipped
in some villages by childless couples. Buddhists also
worship the tree as it is believed that Buddha’s mother
held a branch in her hands when Buddha was born, and it
was under the shade of this tree that Buddha passed the
last night of his life on earth (Bennet et al. 1992).
Other valuable dipterocarps in the South Asian region
include:
• Hopea odorata of which the bark is an astringent and
masticatory for gums.
• Vateria copallifera of which the cotyledons are ground
into an edible flour and the bark is used for arresting
toddy fermentation (Anon. 1985a).
• V. indica of which the fruit is ground into flour. The
seed cake, unpalatable to livestock, is used as a manure,
especially in coffee plantations. However, the cake,
when mixed with other concentrates such as bran or
groundnut cake, can be utilised for cattle feeding. The
bark is an antidote (alexipharmic) in Ayurvedic
preparations. The juice of the leaves is applied to burns