Description and Uses
Pongamia pinnata (Karum tree) is a
tropical
tree from
East India . It is mainly grown for its
oil crops
, which have a
long shelf life. The crop is harvested by
hand picking. It starts flowering after
5 -
7 years. The yield will be
5, but in its top season there will be a yield of
20. Other crop types include;
ornamental, apiculture, fuel, timber, tannin, poison herbicide, The
{missing data} is used as
beverage . The
seed/nut is used as "
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behenic acid (4.2 -
5.3) as its significant
phytochemical. There is
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{missing data} from the
tree's
{missing data} yielding
27 -
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tree's wood is called
{missing data} and has a density of
540 -
560 kg/m³. Regarding firewood production the
tree's growing speed is
slow, it's energetic value is
4600 ckal/kg and the wood's drying speed is
fast. After
30 years the
tree can be totally removed as it reached its commercial and ecological goal.
Pongamia pinnata has a lifespan of
70 years.
Environmental limitations
The tree is
24 meters tall with a crown of
17 meters wide. The
tree prefers a planting distance of
500 cm and a row distance of
500 cm. It is
slow growing and
shade tolerant.
Pongamia pinnata has a
shallow root-system and it has symbiotic associations with the
fungi
(endo-mycorrhiza). It is
able to fix nitrogen moderately with
"Brucellaceae bacteria. The name(s) or string of bacteria include(s)
"not applicable ". The
tree's flower-morphology is
hermaphroditic and is pollinated by
bees.
Pongamia pinnata is
{missing data} and
not allelopathic and has
no thorns.
Pongamia pinnata thrives in an altitude of
0 to
1200 meters above sea-level
(tropical). The minimum temperature is
0°C; optimally between
16 -
27°C. The optimal rainfall is
1750
mm/year. Without irrigation the annual rainfall should be between
500 -
2500mm (L/m²). The optimal soil-pH is between
6.0 -
8.0 in a soil texture of
loam. To salt it is
a bit tolerant to wind
{missing data} and to fire
a bit tolerant.
Pests and Diseases
Pongamia pinnata is susceptible to the following pests:
. And it's susceptible to the following diseases:
(missing data) ,
,
.
Seed Propagation
Seeds are
orthodox and can be stored for
1 months. There are approximative
0
seeds/kg. The seeds can be propagated as followed:
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