shallaki :

Geographical distribution:

Maharashtra (Eastern part), Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, South India, Nepal, Marathwasa & Himalaya.

A moderate or large branching tree with a bole 12-15 in height and 3-5 in girth.

Generally found in dry hilly areas. About 10 species of genus Boswellia occur in tropical parts of Asia & Africa.

It is common in most parts of the central provinces,the Deccan, Bihar, orissa, Rajputana, Central India, Eastern states and north Gujarat, but not found in Bengal, Assam and Burma.

ECOLOGICAL ASPECT:

-Wood borers are reported to cause severe losses to the stored wood. The pests can be contoled by spraying BHC at fortnightly interval. They can also be controlled by debarking and proper drying or by placement of logs in a single row but not in conact with one another on skids and by proper stacking. [ Med Arom plant Absin, 1994, 16, 3]

Plant conservation:

Generally trees over 30" in girth, and also those damaged by borers yield the gum in some quantity, while some trees do not exude any. Dwarfed and suppressed trees or very old trees give poor yield.

Tapping doses not injury to the tree and the method of tapping influences yield.

One method, which is reported to have met with some success, consists in shaving off a thin band of bark (6" in width), 2-2.5" from the base of the tree and freshening it every 4^thor 5^th day.

The gum exudes usually after first freshening