RESTORATION OF Santalum album L. RESOURCE IN SRI LANKA: DISTRIBUTION, SEED STORAGE, GERMINATION AND ESTABLISHMENT

Santalum album L., native to India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, is the best quality oil yielding species among all members of the genus Santalum. Due to the high value of heartwood and oil, this species is illegally harvested in large numbers which can lead to possible extinction. Although it has been named as a protected species since 1964 in Sri Lanka, still the illegal harvesting is very high and the regeneration of this valuable resource is also hindered due to the slow growth rates and low germination rates. Moreover, all Santalum species are hemi-parasitic in nature so that they absorb certain nutrients from other plant species through the connections made via roots. Due to the decline at rapid phase, it is essential to take certain steps to restore S. album resource in Sri Lanka before it becomes almost extinct. Following this objective, the present paper describes the current distribution of S. album in Sri Lanka and attempts made for enhancing the germination rate and initial growth rate of the seedlings by means of seed treatments, seed viability loss and the effect of different host species at the seedling stage. According to the recent findings, S. album has a wider distribution in Sri Lanka despite of the belief that the best oil yielding trees grow in Badulla-Welimada region. According to the results of the experiments conducted, 0.05 % Gibberellic acid was identified as the best seed treatment and the seed viability loses rapidly with the storage time. Desmodium triflorum, Mimosa pudica and Clitoria ternatea were identified as the best host species for the seedling stage of S. album