Myth about sandalwood broken
Myth about sandalwood broken
Yemris Fointuna, London
The myth that sandalwood (santalum album) can only be bred
naturally and not scientifically has been proven otherwise. A
recent study shows that valuable sandalwood (santalum album)
trees can be cloned by applying the micropropagation method.
This achievement in micropropagation was conveyed by young
Indonesian scientist Margareth Pratiwi Ismael -- a student of the
Bandung Institute of Technology's (ITB) faculty of mathematics
and natural sciences -- at the London International Youth Science
Forum, held in London recently.
The forum was attended by hundreds of scientists and winners
of the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Olympics from 57
countries.
Margareth explained that traditional farmers on Timor and
Sumba islands in East Nusa Tenggara province, were less
successful in breeding sandalwood.
"Growers usually plant johar (fast-growing shade trees) or
chili pepper plants as shelter for sandalwood saplings, but the
chances of them living are so small. But, by applying the
micropropagation system, the chances of keeping young sandalwood
saplings alive are bigger," she said.
Micropropagation is the latest method of culturing sandalwood.
Buds of the sandalwood tree are cloned as a medium for the
development of new buds containing the nutrition and organic
compounds that control the growth of ovules and later, new
seedlings ready for planting.
Sandalwood contains aromatic compounds and has the highest
content of Santalol, a principal component of sandalwood oil. The
pale yellow oil that is obtained from sandalwood is one of the
most expensive materials used in cosmetics, as well as for
incense for religious rites and medicine.
Sandalwood has been the top revenue earner for East Nusa
Tenggara over the past 15 years. Historically, the aromatic tree
originated from Indiana, Latin America, but is now only found on
Timor and Sumba islands.
According to the East Nusa Tenggara Statistics Office, the
number of sandalwood trees is estimated to be only some 100,000
due to illegal logging. However, with the latest method of
breeding, new hope is given for the propagation of sandalwood.