Vol. 12, Special Issue 9 (2023)

Author(s):
Soundarya SR, BL Patil, JS Sonnad, GN Kulkarni and VS Patil

Abstract:
Sandalwood holds global significance due to its cultural and commercial value. However, its recent depletion has prompted the need for sandalwood domestication on the farm fields. In order to achieve this successfully, the efficient use of resources via appropriate silvicultural methods is required. In this context, the study was conducted in Karnataka to understand the present utilization of resources by the farmers. Among 200 sample farmers, the majority were practising sandalwood cultivation along with red gram and Melia dubia in an agroforestry system. Resource use efficiency was evaluated using the MVP: MFC ratio. Sandalwood saplings were overutilized due to lack of guidance while planting material of host plants, irrigation, and machine labour were underutilized. The findings advocate for improved technical guidance for adopting appropriate planting density. The study also highlighted the potential for optimizing resource allocation in sandalwood cultivation.