Role of Climatic Factors in Emergence of Sal Heartwood Borer, Hoplocerambyx spinicornis Newman, in Dindori Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh and its Management

Abstract

The present paper reports the emergence of sal heartwood borer, Hoplocerambyx spinicornis Newman (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and its infestation in Dindori Forest Division, Dindori, Madhya Pradesh, during the year 2012-2014.Out of the six sal forest ranges, viz. Bajag, East Karanjia, West Karanjia, Garasarai, North Samnapur and South Samnapur, sal borer incidence was recorded in five ranges, and there was no borer attacked trees noticed in sal forests of Garasarai range during the study period.The emergence of borer beetles started during the year 2012. The data on borer infestations revealed that a total of 699 sal trees were affected during the year 2012 in three ranges, viz. Bajag, East Karanjia, and South Samnapur, 6139 during 2013 in four ranges, viz. Bajag, East Karanjia, West Karanjia, and South Samnapur, 29382 during 2014 in five ranges, viz.Bajag, East Karanjia, West Karanjia, North Samnapur and South Samnapur. The average sal borer incidence was 0.02 tree/ha, 0.11 tree/ha, 0.45 tree/ha during the year 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. The maximum number of borer affected sal trees was recorded to be in Type T7 and girth class 121-150 cm GBH. The number of borer affected sal trees and sal borer incidence recorded during the study period was correlated with meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity and rainfall. The data on borer incidence when correlated with minimum, maximum, and mean temperatures, relative humidity and rainfall showed significant (P<0.05) negative correlation with relative humidity (r = -0.927), other parameters exhibited no conclusive (P>0.05) difference. Trap-tree operation was conducted during the emergence period (June-July) of sal borer beetles, in different affected compartments of Forest Ranges, for its collection. A total number of borer beetles trapped were 1285 during the year 2013, collected from three ranges, whereas during the year 2014 and 2015 beetletrapped was 4440 and 79186 collected from four and five ranges of the Division respectively. The collection of borer beetles reduced its incidence which reflects the efficiency of Trap-tree operation in management of sal borer. The results are discussed in the light of the present findings.