Palmyra palm: Importance in Indian agriculture

Palmyra tree is a tall and swaying tree well known as “Borassus flabellifer”. The word “Borassus” was derived from a Greek word and it means the leathery covering of the fruit and “flabellifer”, means fan-bearer. Palmyra palm tree belongs to the ‘palme’ family. Palakkad district of Kerala is popularly known as land of palmyra trees. Palmyra trees are known as the icon of this district and have a vast cultural, heritage and literary association. Many novels, stories and poems revolve around these trees. The Palmyra tree is the official tree of Tamil Nadu. In Tamil culture it is called karpaha , “nungu” “celestial tree”, and is highly respected because all its parts can be used. The Asian Palmyra palm is a symbol of Cambodia where it is a very common palm, found all over the country. It also grows near the Angkor Wat temple. In Indonesia the Palmyra tree is the symbol of South Sulawesi province. This plant has captured the imagination of Bengalis, especially in the words of Rabindranath Tagore whose nursery rhyme ‘Taal Gaach ek paye daariye, sab gaach chhariye, akaashete uki mare….’ literally tall tree standing on a single leg, surpassing all other trees, looking to the sky…. In Sahaj Path is a staple reading material in most of schools in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

Common name: (a) Fan palm, (b) Asian Palmyra palm, (c) Toddy palm, (d) Sugar palm, (e) Cambodian palm, (f) Kerigi, (g) Mak tan kok, (h) Panna-maram, (i) Taan, (j)Than, (k) Doub palm, (l) Tala palm, (m) Wine palm, (n) Borassus palm, (o) Great fan palm, (p) African fan palm, (q) Lontar palm, (r) Ron palm etc. Areas of cultivation : Native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and New Guinea. Palmyra palms are economically useful and widely cultivated, especially in South –East Asia. The Palmyra pump tree has long been one of the most important trees of Cambodia and India. It is native to South and South-east Asia, in the IndoMalaya eco-zone. It is a palm tree of the sugar palm group, is found from Indonesia to Pakistan. India, Jawa, Laos. Lesser Sunda Island, Malaya, Myanmar, Socotra, parts of China, Sri Lanka , Sulawesi, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, South and South-East Asia. Determining the natural distribution ofBorassus flabellifer is essentially impossible as it is a widely planted crop plant. It is largely restricted to areas with seasonal rainfall and ranges from Western India through Indochina to the lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. Borassus flabellifer was also found in Queensland, Australia. Palmyra palm is a native to tropical Africa but cultivated and naturalized throughout India

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Importance : – The palmyra tree is the official tree of Tamil Nadu. Highly respected in Tamil culture, it is called “karpaha Veruksham” (“celestial tree”) because all its parts have a use.– The Asian palmyra palm is a symbol of Cambodia where it is a very common palm, found all over the country. It also grows near the Angkor Wat temple. – In Indonesia the Palmyra tree is the symbol of South Sulawesi province. – This plant has captured the imagination of Bengalis, especially in the words of Rabindranth Tagore whose nursery rhyme ‘Taal Gaach ek Paye daariye’ (literally Tall tree standing on a single leg....) in Sahaj Path is a staple reading material in most schools in West Bengal and Bangladesh. – In India, it is planted as a windbreak on the plains. It is also used as a natural shelter by birds, bats and wild animals. – Once upon a time, palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) trees dotted the wilderness and banks of water bodies in Tamil Nadu. From root to leaves, the trees had many uses. Products from the trees were used for food, wood, shelter and even as the source of toddy. So much was the prominence of the tree in Tamil Nadu that, palmyra was declared as the state tree of Tamil Nadu. – There is no need to water the seeds at regular intervals. A tree is capable of growing up to 100 feet in 10 years. A tree can last 100 years. – The white kernel of the ripe palm fruit after being left for a few months is used as an offering in Lakshmi Puja in various parts of Bengal and is also eaten raw.

Fruit : The fruit measures 10 cm (3.9 in) to 18 cm (7.1 in) in diameter, has a black husk, and is borne in clusters. The top portion of the fruit must be cut off to reveal the sweet jelly seed sockets, translucent pale-white, similar to that of the lychee but with a milder flavor and no pit. The sweet jelly seed sockets occur in combinations of two, three or four seeds inside the fruit. The jelly part of the fruit is covered with a thin, yellowish-brown skin. These are known to contain watery fluid inside the fleshy white body. These seed sockets have been the inspiration behind certain sweets Sandesh called Jalbhara found in Bengal. The conventional way this fruit is eaten is when the outer casing is still unripe while the seeds are eaten as the fruit. But if the entire fruit is left to ripen, the fibrous outer layer of the palm fruits can also be eaten raw, boiled, or roasted. When this happens, the fruit takes a purple-blackish hue and tastes similar to coconut flesh. The skin is also eaten as part of the fruit similar to how mango skins are often consumed along with the fruit. Bengali People have perfected the art of making various sweet dishes with the yellowish viscous fluidic substance obtained from a ripe palm fruit. These include Mustard oil fried Taler Bora, alternately fried in Sunflower oil, or mixed with thickened milk to form Taal-kheer.

Leaves : The Borassus flabellifer leaves are used for thatching, mats, baskets, fans, hats, umbrellas, and as writing material. All the literature of the old Tamil was written in preserved Palm leaves also known as Palmleaf manuscript. It was written with a sharpened iron piece. Most of the ancient literature in Telugu are written on palm leaves. In Indonesia the leaves were used in the ancient culture as paper, known as “lontar”. Leaves of suitable size, shape, texture, and maturity were chosen and then seasoned by boiling in salt water with turmeric powder, as a preservative. The leaves were then dried. When they were dry enough, the face of the leaf was polished with pumice, cut into the proper size, and a hole made in one corner. Each leaf made four pages. The writing was done with a stylus and had a very cursive and interconnected style. The leaves were then tied up as sheaves. The stem of the leaves has thorny edges. Fences can be prepared from these stems by nailing them together. The skin of the stem can be peeled off and be used as rope and also used to weave into cots. In some part of Tamil Nadu, a variety of rice flour cake is prepared using the leaf. In the eastern part of India, the leaves are used to make hand fans. These are mostly used during the summer in parts of Assam and West Bengal.

Medicinal uses : There are innumerable medicinal uses for all parts of the palmyra palm. – Briefly, the young plant is said to relieve biliousness, dysentery, and gonorrhea. – Young roots are diuretic and anthelmintic, and a decoction is given in certain respiratory diseases. – The ash of the spadix is taken to relieve heartburn and enlarged spleen and liver. – The bark decoction, with salt, is used as a mouth wash, and charcoal made of the bark serves as a dentifrice. – Sap from the flower stalk is prized as a tonic, diuretic, stimulant, laxative and anti phlegmatic and amebicide. Sugar made from this sap is said to counteract poisoning, and it is prescribed in liver disorders. – Candied, it is a remedy for coughs and various pulmonary complaints. – Fresh toddy, heated to promote fermentation, is bandaged onto all kinds of ulcers. – The pulp of the mature fruit relieves dermatitis. – Being rich in minerals and vitamins, sugar palmfruits are a healthy option for people on diet or suffering from diabetes. It is a rich source of vitamins B and C,iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, thiamine, and riboflavin. – Palmyra fruit is an excellent home remedy for prickly heat during summer season. A thin layer of sugar palm fruit jelly applied on the affected area has a soothing effect and immediately alleviates the itchiness associated with prickly heat. – Sugar palm fruits are also effective in reducing the symptoms of chicken pox and enhance the rate of healing. – Sugar palm fruit is also beneficial in treating inflammatory skin problems such as redness due to intense heat. A face pack made from sugar palm fruit is excellent for the skin even for people with sensitive skin. It prevents prickly heat, boils and redness of-the-face. A poultice or a drink made from sugar palm fruit can effectively treat dermatitis. It can be safely used in infants and children as well. – The palm fruit is ideal for treating burning sensation in the stomach. – During summers use palm fruit, to keep body hydrated. It also replenishes the lost minerals and nutrients of the body and prevents painful urination and tiredness. – It is used effectively to treat digestive problems and other stomach ailments. It is also used as a laxative. – Sugar palm fruit is a good option for those who are on a diet. It also prevents malnutrition in children and adults. – Palm fruit has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. The fruit pulp helps to cure skin inflammations. It is used to treat nausea and vomiting as well as worm infestation. It is used as an expectorant and also as a liver tonic.– Palm jaggery is also known as Palmyra palm sugar and is a natural sweetener. It is used extensively in cooking and has many health benefits; (a) Low glycemic index sugar helpful in reducing obesity and diabetes, (b) Provides a sustained and uniform energy supply to the body, (c) It is rich in many nutrients including vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C – Pure sandalwood powder is mixed with ground fresh sugar palm fruit with a little coconut water. This pack is applied in a thin coat on the face and left to dry after which it is washed off with cold water. This is a good remedy for treating and preventing boils, prickly heat and redness of the face. – It is also effective for the inflammatory skin problems faced after sun exposure. A sterilized and 100% cotton cloth is taken and sterilized by boiling in watercloth is soaked and cooled at room temperature. The fruit is taken and the outer skin on the top is peeled off, the pulp is ground in a mixer and spread on the cloth. This poultice is applied on the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes after which the cloth is removed.

Conclusion: Our country has 121.1 crores of population according to 2011 census. To feed the ever-increasing population of our country is a great challenge. Day by day demand of foodgrain is increasing; on the other hand day by day per capita landholding is decreasing. Therefore, pressure on land to produce more obviously, deteriorating the soil quality means soil health is in alarming condition, along with lack of sufficient amount of irrigation water is making farmers helpless and hapless. Lack of proper price of few commercial crops, lack of proper export infrastructure, along with farmers are unable to take the advantages of WTO implications by producing quality products. Above all the things indicate that agriculture is passing through tough challenges. One of the ways to these challenges is providing more emphasis on non-tradition crops cultivation (crop diversification) to produce more food (many types of foods through value-addition). In this respect, cultivation of palmyra palm is important one. Palmyra palm tree has more than 800 uses; therefore, through cultivation of the palm, people will be economically, culturally, socially, religiously and environmentally benefitted. Less water requirement for cultivation, capacity of the plant to withdraw water fromunderground, longevity of the plant (nearly 100 years), low space utilizing capacity, soil erosion preventing capacity, capacity to recharge the water table, an excellent plant as windbreak, aboveall, it provides a natural shelter to birds (especially vulture), bats and wild animals. The plant has the most important characters and unique characters to be a commercial crop as well as a forest plant. Considering the importance of Palmyra palm tree cultivation, extension agencies at grassroots levels of society must accelerate their extension programme for bringing awareness on Palmyra palm tree cultivation as well government forest personnel must have a fresh look on Palmyra palm tree cultivation at forest to maintain the forest properly.