Sal Borer:
The Madhya Pradesh forest department has sought permission from the central government to fell nearly 150,000 sal trees in Dindori district after a severe infestation of sal borer insects.
- Sal Borer is a beetle of the order- Coleoptera, family-Cerambycydae.
- It is the most devastating insect pest responsible for catastrophic damage of sal forests of the country.
- It looks dark brown in color and has about the size of a human finger.
- It causes extensive damage to sal trees both in standing as well as freshly felled timbers.
- The less vigorous, weak, unhealthy trees or those with reduced vitality are easily attacked or killed due to borer.
- The attack of the borer is considered epidemic when the sal trees affected are more than 1% of the total number of trees.
- Sal Tree is called the ‘Sentinel of the Forests’ because it can live for dozens of years and has the ability to withstand environmental changes.
- It is found naturally in Uttarakhand, Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.
- It can tolerate temperatures as high as 40-45°Celcius in summers and as low as 5°Celcius in winters.
- It can be grown in the plains, provided there is light loamy soil with good drainage and the area receives approximately 1000 mm – 3000 mm of annual rainfall.
- It requires a warm and humid climate and can thrive at altitudes up to 1500 metres above the sea level.
- This tree can live up to 100 years and doesn’t require frequent watering or care.
