General Information :

• Sita Asoka is a medium-sized, evergreen tree
• Leaves are alternate copper red when young and green when mature,
• Bark dark green in color,
• Fragrant flowers are orange to yellow in color.
• Fruit is a four to eight seeded, flat and black colored, leathery pod.

Distribution :

• Asoka is distributed throughout India, naturally frequent in South India,

Habitat : Grows wild on rich volcanic soils in lowland tropical rain forests.

Soil : Well drained organic soil sand along the stream.

Soil pH : 5.5-6

Altitude :Up to 720 m

Rainfall :700-1500mm

Temperature : 25-30ºC

Terrain : Plains

Tree Characteristics :

• Shade bearer and coppice well

Habit : Evergreen Tree

Natural Regeneration :

• Naturally propagated by seeds

Artificial Regeneration :

• Propagated mainly by Nursery raised seedlings.

Seed collection and Storage :

• Seeds are collected between December and January.
• Seed Rate 90 to 100/kg
• Germination percentage of 90-95%.

Seed Treatment :

• Cold water treatment for 12 hours

Nursery Technique :

• The seedlings are raised in a nursery in March.
• The seeds are sown in mother beds or polybags of 25 cm × 20 cm size.
• The potting mixture consists of equal quantities of soil, sand, and FYM (farmyard manure). The seeds germinate in about 15 days

Plantation technique :

• Pits of size 45 cm × 45 cm × 45 cm are prepared at a spacing of 3 m × 3 m. The pits are weathered and refilled with topsoil after mixing with 10 kg FYM per pit.

Care & Disease Control :

• The crop is raised over high rainfall tracts.
• During the months without rains, the seedlings require frequent irrigation.
• Watering of grown-up trees is done by forming a ring channel aroundtrees base to hasten growth

Recommended Harvest :

• 15 – 20 years

Yield :

• One Tone of dry bark per ha.

Major uses :

• It is grown as an avenue tree due to its foliage and fragrant flowers.
• The bark is harvested for medicinal purpose.

Other uses :

Stem bark of Asoka tree is strongly astringent and a uterine sedative, uterine tonic, and styp-tic, having a stimulating effect on endometrial and ovarian tissue. The bark is also useful in dyspepsia, fever, and burn-ing sensation. It is also used to treat menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, internal bleeding, hemorrhoids, and hemorrhagic dysentery.

Market details :

• Approximately Rs 30 to Rs.35 / kg.