Endangered Sandalwood: Chicken Manure and Seed Size Hold the Key to Nursery Success

Image: article cover, from Blolok et al. (2024), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY 4.0.

A research team from the Forestry Study Programme at Nusa Cendana University has investigated ways to improve the nursery cultivation of sandalwood (Santalum album Linn.), an endemic forest species of East Nusa Tenggara that is classified as endangered. The study was conducted at the Fatukoa Permanent Nursery, BPDAS Benain Noelmina, Fatukoa Village, Maulafa District, Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara, over three months from March to May 2024. The results show that the type of growing medium and the size of the seed are decisive factors in the successful germination of sandalwood.

The study found that small seeds sown in a medium of soil, sand and chicken manure achieved the highest germination rate, at 37.33 per cent. By contrast, small seeds sown only in a soil-and-sand medium without organic matter reached just 11.33 per cent. Chicken manure was judged the most effective because it improves soil structure, boosts microbial activity and supplies the nutrients the plants need. Cattle manure, meanwhile, releases nutrients more slowly, and a soil-and-sand medium without organic matter causes the soil to compact, which hinders root growth.

These findings are important for sandalwood conservation efforts in East Nusa Tenggara, where thousands of households depend on cultivating the plant for their livelihoods. Sandalwood is known for producing fragrant sandalwood timber of high economic value for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The study recommends that farmers and nursery managers take greater care in selecting seed size and add chicken manure to the growing medium. The research team notes that further field research is still needed to test this strategy on a larger scale and under diverse environmental conditions.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article Optimising Growing Media Composition and Seed Selection Strategies For the Conservation of the Endangered Sandalwood (Santalum album Linn.) by Agustina Sumarni Ciputri Blolok, Wilhelmina Seran, Astin Elise Mau and Muhamad Soimin, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 11 No. 2 (2024). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Blolok, A. S. C., Seran, W., Mau, A. E., & Soimin, M. (2024). Optimising Growing Media Composition and Seed Selection Strategies For the Conservation of the Endangered Sandalwood (Santalum album Linn.). Jurnal Wasian, 11(2), 48–57. https://doi.org/10.62142/93nr9m09

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY 4.0.