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| February 20, 2006 | Monday | Muharram 21, 1427 |
Shisham trees endangered by ‘dieback’ disease
PESHAWAR, Feb 19: The shisham is gradually becoming an endangered species in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera and Swabi districts of the NWFP as it is fighting for its survival against the killer ‘dieback’ disease.
“Shisham tree botanically known as Dilbergia sissoo, is under increasing threat of vanishing since it was first reported in 1998 as 20 to 50 per cent heavy infestation rate has been noted in these areas owing to the dieback disease,” said a study.
Of the trees in Katlang Forest Range (KFR) in Mardan, 65 per cent mature and 40 per cent sub-mature trees have been identified as ‘infested.’ Infection was found in 25 per cent mature trees and 37 per cent in the sub-mature trees in KFR, according to a study conducted by Sultan Mohammad, a forestry expert.
In the Charsadda Forest Range (CFR), the dieback disease has destroyed 30 per cent mature and 10 per cent sub-mature trees. Similarly, at least 40 per cent have been found infected among mature and 24 per cent in sub-mature trees in CFR.
“The dieback disease has killed 36 per cent mature and two per cent sub-mature trees in Swabi Forest Range (SFR),” according to another study conducted by A. S. Ansari, a research student of the Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI), Peshawar.
A total of 34 per cent of dieback infection rate has been noted in mature and 32 per cent in sub-mature trees in SFR. Root injury, prolong draught, water logging, high temperature and nutrient deficiencies are the causes of dieback, the experts said.
Dr A. H. Khan, an eminent pathologist of Pakistan in his book ‘Pathology of trees volume-II’ has recorded that dieback in Shisham was found in early 1900 in the subcontinent. In 1956, he had observed various fungi including Ganoderma lucidum in Khanewal plantation in Punjab, which ultimately lead to dieback.
The multi purposes Shisham, which was introduced in Changa Manga in 1866 to produce coal for the railways, was a great source of earning for the farmers and middle class due to its wide-range uses.
“My late father had planted Shisham trees with an advice that sissoo will overcome your financial constraints in future,” said Sher Mohammad Khan, 45, an eminent farmer of Katlang village in Mardan district.
He said that from generation to generation they were planting seedlings of the specie and selling them for his daughters’ dowry or higher education of his sons. “Last year 54 Shisham trees in my farmland were attacked by the disease which was a great financial loss,” he said.
“I started replacing Shisham with Mulberry and Poplar as it was often attacked by the disease at the maturing stage,” said Farooq Khan, 45, of Motty Banda village, Mardan.
The residents have ruthlessly cut Shisham along canals and boundaries of farmlands in the area once thickly covered by the sissoo, he said.
A visitor who travels in upper Swat canal linking Katlang-Swabi, Michi canal in Dargai Malakand and Harichand in Charsadda, would be disappointed to see the dry Shisham trees.
“Dieback attack is an international problem as the disease is also reported in India, Nepal and Bangladesh,” Dr Iqbal Sial, Chief Conservator of Forests, NWFP, said. “We have stretched Shisham from its natural habitats of hilly areas to draught hit plain areas that leave the specie at the mercy of the deadly disease,” he said.
The dieback had made little impact on Shisham in hilly areas like Mirpur in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir as compared to draught hit areas of Mardan, Swabi and Charsadda since it was reported in 1998, he added.
He admitted that root injuries had been caused to Shisham trees during cleaning of water channels in these districts. “The major cause of dieback has not been identified yet,” the senior official said.—APP
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