Gum Collection and Processing

 

Gums are important non timber forest produce (NTFP) used in industries and even at domestic level. Gums are hydrocolloids obtained from the plants and are polysaccharides of more than one type of monosaccharide residue. 

The gums are considered as a pathological product, produced in response to injury by a process known as Gummosis. Gum production in plants take place in response to ageing, stress, wound and injury. The process of gummosis is mediated by a hormone called wound hormone (ethylene). 

The method evolved to tap gum yielding tree involves making a small incision in the trunk of a matured tree and administering 2 to 4 ml of Ethephone (2 Chloroethyle Phosphonic Acid). The wound hormone accelerates the process of gummosis in the soft tissue of the tree trunk and makes ramifying system of gum ducts. The gum ducts ooze out gum from the men made holes or natural cracks.  

Gum yielding tree 1: Sterculia urens (Karu) and 2: Boswellia serrata (Salai)

3 & 4: Gum tears of Karu 5: Value added Product of Gum - Laddoo

Result: The yield of gum in treated tree is several times more than the control (please refer table below)

Sr. No.	Scientific & local name of the plant species	Gum yield: Traditional system  (grams)	Gum yield: Scientific method (grams)
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08	Acacia catechu (Khair) Acacia leucophloea (Hiwar) Acacia nilotica (Babool) Acacia Senegal Anogesus latifolia (Dhawada) Azardirachta indica (Neem) Bombex ceiba (Semal) Boswellia serrata (Salai)	20 50 50 20 80 10 -- --	250 400 450 350 500 100 160 250

Tapping & Processing: The implication of introducing Scientific Method of tapping gum yielding trees, processing it for value addition and marketing can be worked out in the following manner.

Yield of gum in traditional system ... 01X

Gains in yield using scientific method (3 times)   ... 03X

Cost of gum paid in cluster approach (2 times) ... 06X

After semi processing cost is 2 times more ... 12X

Initial cost of gum = X 

Final cost of gum = 12X 

Technology Transfer: Technology is transferred to more than 5,000 tribal and villagers belonging to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh

Watershed Management

As Head of “Mother NGO”, Dr. Soham Pandya worked in the field of Watershed Management, (a program of “Ministry of Agriculture”, Government of Maharashtra) during 10th and 11th Five year plan to transfer appropriate technologies and methodologies to Program Implementing Agencies (PIA) of Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Bhandara and Gondia associated with Government and Non Government organizations.

Extension: Dr. Soham Pandya transferred appropriate technologies like Water Harvesting; Soil Management; Biotechnology; Organic Farming; Food Processing; Processing of NTFP; Herbal Medicine; Natural Dying etc. to thousands of farmers and SHG members of 220 villages of Vidarbha region.

In many cases trained beneficiary converted technologies in to trade. 

Soil and Water Management: Management of these resources is necessary in an area where the land is denuded. Following are some actions which play a crucial role in the management of soil and water.

Ridge to valley approach for ensuring minimum soil erosion and minimum water runoff;

Large scale Plantation in waste land;

Construction of Continuous contour trenches (CCT)

Making Loose Boulder Structures (LBS)

Digging Farm Ponds

Erecting Earthen Dams and

Inserting Cement Plugs (CP) in drainage lines.

These measures ensure availability of water round the year for agriculture, horticulture, social forestry etc.