Acacia modesta

 This tree occurs more or less gregariously in the dry

Distribution outer hills and valleys in the sub-Himalayan tract and
outer Himalayas from the Jamuna westwards, ascending
to 1220 m.
 Occasionally it is found extending down the Beas and
Sutlej, well out in the plains.
 It extends from Jamai, through Himachal Pradesh
Punjab and Haryana a far east as Saharan- per and
Delhi but in the eastern parts, its natural occurrence is
local.
 It is very common is Pakistan
 Climate
 Temperature

Site factors 1. Maximum temperature: 37.5-42.5°C

2. Minimum temperature: 17.5-25°C
 Altitude : upto 1200 m
 No of rainy days : 30 days
 Annual rainfall : 254-1016 mm

Soil:
 It is found predominantly in hot dry southern slopes, mostly on sandrock
and siwalik sandstone, limestone, conglomerates on rocky get-crops on
poor soil.
 It occurs characteristically on poor, dry shallow denuded soils where few
other species can survive
  A small or medium sized deciduous tree with a short trunk,
and a low bushy crown and drooping branchlets
Description  Ordinarily it reaches a height of 6-9 m and a girth of 1.3 m;
but under favourable conditions it may attain a height of 15-
18m and a girth of 3-3.7 m
 Bark rough, with a multiple narrow irregular cracks
 Leaflets 3-5 pairs, 4-10 mm long. Pinnate(2-3 pairs)
 Flowers white or pale yellow, fragrant in cylindric axillary
solitary or germinate podunculate spikes 4-7 cm long.
 Pods 5-8 by 08-1.3 cm, thin, flat straight; apex deltoid with a
small straight beak.
 Dehiscing Seeds 3-5.
Phenology

 Leaf shed : Autumn to early winter

 New leaves : February to March
 Flowering : March to May
 Seed collection: December to January
Silvicultural characters  Light demander
 Cannot withstand shade in early stages
 Frost hardy
 Drought tolerant
 Coppice well
 Wind firm
  It reproduces itself satisfactorily from coppice; but
seedling reproduction is invariably disappointing
Natural regeneration
 Failure is explained by a study of the silvicultural
requirements of the species and the conditions essential
for the natural reproduction from seed. These are
 (a) a loose soil with sufficient soil moisture,
 (b) proper distribution of rainfall,
 (c) complete ever-head light,
 (d) a good seed crop with proper seed dispersion, and
(e) protection from grazing and browsing
 Dry seed weighs about 26,000 to a kilogram.

Artificial regeneration  The germinative capacity is 41-55% (49% has been

recorded in UP) for stored untreated seed The plant per
cent is 14.
 Soaking of seed in boiling water gives a man
germinative capacity of 77% and a maximum of 98%.
 Germination of seeds generally takes place from 3 days
to a month after sewing. Though casual germination
continues upto 2 months, active germination is complete
in about week.
Planting
 Trenches about 30 cm deep 30cm long and spaced at 3.0
x 3.0 m are dug up in advance, towards the end of June.
 The excavated earth is made into a bund below the
trench after leaving a clear berm about 15 cm wide.
 This enables the water to collect in the trenches and seep
towards the root system of the plants
  Weeding and tending in the early stages are essential for
success. The plant is a strong light demander and intolerant of
suppression by weeds

Management:
Tending Already stated it plays a dominant role in the foothills, in
providing a plant cover an hot slopes against dedunation and
erosion. Management of these areas, therefore aims at the
preservative and perpetuation of tree growth in the interest of
soil conservation
  Grasshopper destroy good number of germinated
seedlings by eating the tender leaves.
 Defoliators are reported to be abundant is certain
localities.

Pest and disease  It is commonly attacked by number of Bostrychidae and

lyctid dry wood borers, such as Cafepertha truncatula,
Letus africans.
 The fungus Relive recorded from Delhi attacks leaves,
petioles and branches producing pale yellow.
  The wood is ad to a small extent for card-
wheels house construction agriculture
implements and chiefly as fuel.
 The delicate twigs are commonly usedas tooth
brush in Punjab .
Uses  The yields a fair quantity of gum which is
highly valuable native restorative medicine.
 The leaves and fallen flowers are collected as
fodder for cattle.