INFLUENCE OF HOST PLANT ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES OF FIELD-GROWN SANDAL TREE (SANTALUM ALBUM)

This paper examines the influence of host plant, Casuarina equisetifolia, on carbon assimilation, water and nutrient absorption in a 6-year-old field-grown sandal tree. Sandal trees growing with host showed carbon assimilation rate of 17.66 μmol cm-2 s-1 whereas sandal trees growing without host plant showed only 15.13 μmol cm-2 s-1. Sandal tree growing with host plant also showed higher pre-dawn plant water potential (-0.85 MPa) than sandal tree without host plant (-1.27 MPa). Leaf nutrient contents were higher in sandal tree with host plant (N = 2.65%, K = 0.24%, P = 2.31%) compared with sandal tree without host plant (N = 2.48%, P = 0.16%, K = 1.68%). The host plant supplemented N, P and K requirement of sandal trees through haustorial connections. The most outstanding influence of the host plant was in increasing the K status of sandal tree. Sandal tree depended on host plant mainly for maintaining plant water level and reducing water stress and the K status of the leaf played significant role in this. Host plant was not only essential for initial establishment of sandal tree but was also required in the main field.