Abstract

Seedlings of ten selected medicinal tree species were raised in a central nursery and outplanted in farmer's wastelands and institutional lands in Palakkad and Thrissur District of Kerala State, India. The species tried in the wasteland rehabilitation experiment were Aegle marmelos(L.) Corr., Caesalpinia sappan L., Cinnamomum zeylanicum Breyn., Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent., Phyllanthus emblica L., Pterocarpus santalinus L.f., Punica granatum L., Saraca asoca (Roxb.)de Wilde, Syzyguim aromaticum (L.) Merr.et perr. and Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.The programme was accomplished through active participation of the beneficiaries as well as co-operation of the local agricultural officers of Kerala State Agricultural Department. Training was also given to farmers in seed processing, nursery establishment, nursery techniques and plantation aspect like aligning, pitting, planting and aftercare of outplanted seedlings. During the 2 1/2 years of project implementation, more than 89, 000 seedlings were raised andplanted in 45 ha of farmers' and institutional wastelands in the two districts. Species preference by farmers was mostly guided by the size of their land holdings. Small holding farmers preferred species like punica granatum and Syzygium aromaticum to plant mostly in their homestead wastelands whereas large holding farmers preferred species such as Aegle marmelose, Caesalpinia sappan and Pterocarpus santalinus, whose products are of industrial demand and which require less attention for survival and growth of outplanted seedlings. In the case of institutions, species of medicinal use in pharmaceutical industry such as Aegle marmelos and Saraca asoca were preferred than the other species. Sufficient financial assistance for nursery and plantation activities, and facilities for marketing of products can enable the rehabilitation of the wastelands in Kerala using medicinal plannts, as proved by the success of the programme