VARIATION IN RESIN DUCTS AND YIELD IN CHIR PINE POPULATION

VARIATION IN RESIN DUCTS AND YIELD IN CHIR PINE POPULATION

Prerna Bhardwaj ^{* 1}, Kulwant Rai Sharma ² and Prem Kumar Khosla ¹

School of Biological and Environmental Sciences ¹, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Department of Forestry ², YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.

ABSTRACT: Pinus roxburghii (F-Pinaceae) is one of the most common chir-pine found in the mid-Himalayan region. The crown of this species displays two different needle colour morphotypes (Dark- Green, Light- Green). It is a well known timber and resin yielding tree. Wood exudes oleoresin which yields rosin and turpentine oil having important role in commercial industry. So, the present study was focused on the identification of superior phenotypes possessing higher quality resin yield from two morphotypes of P. roxburghii of Himachal Pradesh. Trees were selected from different areas of Himachal Pradesh with varying latitude and altitude and were tapped for one month. Needle from the same trees were collected, washed and used for section cutting to determine resin ducts. The needle colour, altitude and latitude had significant influence on these parameter. Results showed that the Dharamshala latitudinal cline -32^o to 33^o N (L₃) has recorded maximum resin yield (544.439g) whereas Kullu – Mandi latitudinal cline -31^o to 32^o N (L₂) observed minimum resin yield (312.795g) and the highly significant resin ducts (4.622) was found in Dharamshala latitudinal cline -32^o to 33^o N (L₃) whereas minimum resin ducts (2.317) was observed in Solan latitudinal cline -30 ^o to 31^o N (L₁).

Pinus roxburghii, Resin Yield, Resin ducts, Altitude, Latitude, Morphotypes

INTRODUCTION: Pinus roxburghii known as chir pine, is the most important species in India. It is also found in Western Ghats in temperate and sub-tropical conditions. The species also overlapps with Pinus wallichiana and Cedrus deodara in temperate reaches embodying mild snowfall.  It is scattered over Kashmir to Bhutan and in the Shiwalik hills at an altitude of 450-2,400m. All coniferous trees synthesize and secrete resin that vary somewhat in content and type of resin acids ⁶_. Chir pine is the primary species commercially tapped for oleoresin in India.

P. roxburghii a species of considerable economic importance in India, plays an important role in the commerical forestry. The resin, in general terms, is a liquid hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, and is mainly composed of volatile and nonvolatile terpenes and essential oils ⁹. It exudes rosin and turpentine oil. Turpentine oil is a clear, transparent liquid with a pungent and bitter taste obtained from Chir pine.

The turpentine is chiefly used as a solvent in pharmaceutical preparations, perfume industry, in manufacture of synthetic pine oil, disinfectants, insecticides and denaturants.  It is one of the most important basic raw materials for the synthesis of terpene chemicals which are used in a wide variety of industries such as adhesives, paper and rubber. Chir pine rosin is principally used in paper, soap, paint, varnish and polish industries.

Resin canals exude a complex of secondary metabolites (resin or pitch) as a result of injury from wind, fire, or attack by wood-boring insects. Resin canals also serve as an important diagnostic characteristic in conifers ^{4, 12}. The number of resin ducts and the relative position of resin canals in the needle may be used as an aid in identification ². The present investigation were undertaken with an aim to study the variation in resin ducts and yield in natural population of P. roxburghii.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples of oleoresin and needles were collected from different sampling sites. Trees which were located about 100m apart from each other were selected for the study in order to avoid inbreeding. Himachal Pradesh constitutes the sampling area. It is divided into three latitudinal clines 30⁰N-31⁰N, 31⁰N-32⁰N, 32⁰N-33⁰N which further was divided into three altitudinal clines upto 800m, 800m-1500m, 1500m-2200m. From each altitudinal cline the oleoresin were collected from three trees representing two morphotypes Dark green, Light green. Trees were tapped for one month by using Bore hole method ¹⁴. The method involves drilling of holes into the wood. Holes 2.5cm in diameter were drilled to a depth of 10 cm. A chemical spray of 1:1 mixture of 10 per cent 2-chloroethyl-phosphonic acid or Ethephon and 20 per cent sulphuric acid was applied with fine spray bottle. The sprouts were tightly fixed and polythene bags were attached to the sprouts with the help of tie for the collection of oleoresin. Needles from the same trees were randomly selected for the determination of resin ducts through section cutting technique ¹⁰. Mean and standard error were calculated for each trait. The first and second order interactions were also calculated.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The latitude, altitude and color of needle showed significant effect on resin yield and resin ducts in different regions of Himachal Pradesh.

Resin ducts: The data on effect of latitudinal clines, altitudes and colour of needle on resin ducts are presented in Table 1.

The latitudinal clines showed significant effect on resin ducts. The maximum resin ducts (4.622) was found in Dharamshala latitudinal cline -32^o to 33^o N (L₃) whereas minimum resin ducts (2.317) was observed in Solan latitudinal cline -30^o to 31^o N (L₁). Different altitudes also noticed significant effect on resin ducts. The maximum resin ducts (5.917) was recorded in trees growing between 1500-2000 m in altitude and the minimum resin ducts (1.700) was recorded in trees growing  upto 800m altitude. The needle colour also had significant influence on this parameter. The maximum resin ducts (3.874) was observed in dark green trees and minimum value (2.741) was noticed in light green trees. The interaction between latitudinal cline and altitude was found to be statistically non- significant.

The second order interaction between latitudinal clines, needle colours the interaction L₂A₁C₁ (6.900) had significantly highest resin ducts (1.456). The significantly lowest value of (1.467) was recorded in L₁A₃C₂ which was statistically at par with L₃A₂C₂ (1.567), L₁A₁C₂ (1.633), L₁A₃C₁ (1.933), L₃A₃C₂ (2.000), L₁A₂C₂ (2.067). Resin ducts is an important character applied in classifying the Pinene and particularly in distinguishing Pinus species ^{2, 7, 13, 15, 19, 25}.

Same results have been reported by Sheue ²¹ who discovered the variation of resin ducts in Pinus taiwanensis needles along an elevation gradient. The resin ducts is an important factor which influences the oleoresin yielding capacity of the tree ²².

TABLE 1: EFFECT OF LATITUDINAL CLINES, ALTITUDES AND COLOUR OF NEEDLES ON RESIN DUCTS OF PINUS ROXBURGHII

Resin yield: The experimental results of the present study have shown significant variation in resin yield with respect to latitude, altitude and colour of needle.

The data on effect of latitudinal clines, altitudes and colour of needle on resin yield are presented in Table 2.

Effect of latitude on resin yield was statistically significant. The Dharamshala latitudinal cline -32^o to 33^o N (L₃) has recorded maximum resin yield (544.439g) whereas Kullu–Mandi latitudinal cline -31^o to 32^o N (L₂) observed minimum resin yield (312.795g). Different altitudes noticed significant effect on resin yield. The maximum resin yield (543.339g) was recorded in trees growing between 1500-2000m in altitude and the minimum resin yield (335.539g) was recorded in trees growing between 800-1500m altitudes.

The colour of needle has observed significant influence on resin yield. The maximum resin yield (716.456g) was found in dark green needle color trees growing between 1500-2000 m  in altitude which was statistically at par with upto 800m A₃x

C₁ (582.889g) and minimum value of resin yield (218.167g) was found in light green trees growing upto 800 m in altitude which was statistically at par with A₂xC₂ (277.189g).

Many researchers reported that the yield of oleoresin is affected by number of factors such as diameter, tree crown, growth rate, inherited capacity of individual, environmental factors, time of tapping, stimulants, width of blaze and diameter and depth of boreholes ^{11, 24,} number of resin canals ¹⁸, atmospheric temperature ¹.

Resin ducts of needles and resin yield of stem varies along with latitudinal and altitudinal clines and colour of needle strongly and statistically effects these parameters. These results were similar with the findings of many researchers ²⁰. Resin production is also affected by genotype and environmental interaction ²³.

TABLE 2: EFFECT OF LATITUDINAL CLINES, ALTITUDES AND COLOUR OF NEEDLES ON RESIN YIELD OF PINUS ROXBURGHII

CONCLUSION: Resin is an economical and industrial important product and chir pine is the principal source for its tapping. So, before resin tapping it is important to select best chir pine trees. In the studied traits, resin yield and resin ducts varies with latitude and altitude which indicates that these traits are influenced by environmental effects. According to the results of SED and CD obtained through OPSTAT software suggests that the dark green trees growing in 1500-2000m altitude and 32º-33º N latitude are good resin yielders and can be selected for resin tapping.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The authors are thankful to Shoolini University of Management Sciences and Biotechnology and Dr. YS Parmar

University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan for providing facilities and guidance.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: No

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    How to cite this article:

    Bhardwaj P, Sharma KR and Khosla PK: Variation in resin ducts and yield in chir pine population. Int J Pharm Sci Res 2017; 8(5): 2213-17.doi: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.8(5).2213-17.

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