Page 7 - NRG of commercial importance

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Rosin, also known as colophony, is the solid
form o{ resin obtained ftom pines and some
other plants, mosdy conifers.

Local namer rosin
Plant Sources: Pinus roxburghii, Pinus
waLlichi arw, P inus kqsia

Family: Pinaceae
Distribution: Extensive chir pine (Piru.s
roxburghir) forests are found in tlre Himalaya
between an elevation of 1000m and 1900m.
Chir pine yields cornmercially important
oleo-resin which forms the raw material for
rosin and turpentine oil industry in India.
Blue pine (Piru^s waLLichiana) forests occur at
elevation of over 2100m in the Himalaya.
I(rasi pine (Rnrrs kcpia) is found in the Garo,
Pillvs t&wgfiii ttee
Khasi and Naga hills whereas some exotic
species of pines have been innoduced at through transverse ones in the rays.
various places in India. Of the above species, Consequendy, for tapping the trees only a
only chir pine is widely tapped for resin on shallow incision is necessary as the flow of
commercial basis, particularly in the hills of resin from the tranwerse ducts stimulates
secretion of resin in large ones. The
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
maximum flow of resin is from top of the
Garhwal and Kumaun.
incision, where both the horizontal and
Produ&ion in India: 25,000 tons per annum vertical ducts are cut. On exposure to air, the
(approximately) volatile oil in the oleoresin (turpentine oil)
gradually elaporates leaving clear, hard,
Other producing countries: China, glossy substance called rosin, which forrns e
Indonesia, Portugal, Brazil and Russia. protective coating over the incision and tendsi
to stop furtler flow of resin.
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Harvesting/Collection of Resin
In India two kinds of tapping are in vague,
Method of harvesting/tapping: For viz., (i) Lght continuous tapping, (ii) heary
commercial purposes, resin is obtained by tapprng.
tapping standing pine ftees i.e. by rnaking a o
(i) Light continuous tapping: Light
cut which exposes the surface o{ the wood.
Resin canals are large and irregularly continuous tapping is done in trees above
disnibuted in chir pine fiees. The resin in the 0.9m in girth. Trees beween 0.9 and 1.8 m in
I
longitudinal ducts tends to reach the surface girth are tapped in one channel, and those