Tamarind monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future

In India, tamarind is used to make firebreaks, as the soil beneath is almost
bare. When creating firebreaks, the spacing adopted is 2.5 x 2.5 m or 3 x 3
m. If the spacing appears to be too close some plants can be removed later.
In Mysore, where tamarind is used commonly in fire lines, seedlings are
raised in clay pots and planted in the field at a spacing of 3 x 3 m in 1 m 3
pits. Aftercare is minimal for these plantings, the only requirement being to
hoe the soil around the plants once a year to remove any weed growth
(Troup, 1921).
5.3.4 Time of planting
In seasonally dry regions, the best time for field planting is at the beginning
of the rainy season, as soon as there is sufficient moisture in the soil. This
will reduce the need for frequent watering until the plants are firmly
established in the soil. In the initial stages of growth the plants may need
some watering, especially during the hot summer months.
If irrigation is available, field establishment may be undertaken at any time
of the year, even in the dry season. However, it is advisable to provide
partial shade to the newly established plants if planting is carried out during
the dry periods.
Seedling growth in the field is initially fast (about 1.2 m in the first two
years) but slows later. Mean plant height increases by about 60 cm annually.
Average annual growth has been reported as 50-80 cm (Streets, 1962; NAS,
1979; CATIE, 1986). However, when bare rooted seedlings are transplanted
initial growth may be severely checked. This can be overcome by removing
some of the leaves and irrigating frequently. If, due to unforeseen
circumstances, planting in the rainy season is delayed the seedlings should
be cut back and the tap root trimmed. In the Philippines the planting time is
from May to June, and in Sri Lanka from April to June, but preferably from
October to December to coincide with the onset of the main rainy season
(Gunasena, 1997). Transplanted trees should be protected from cattle and
other animals. Regular weeding around the plants is also essential for early
establishment and good growth.
5.4 Husbandry
In its wild state, tamarinds establish through natural regeneration of seeds,
grow slowly without any addition of fertilisers, start bearing fruits after a
long period and produce fruits usually of inferior quality. Major constraints
to the development and promotion of tamarind include low yielding and
poor quality planting stock, lack of production technologies and lack of
knowledge on nutrition management of the trees. Nevertheless, in recent
years tamarind has attracted considerable attention from research and
development agencies in many countries. In the following section, a number
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