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<p>East Indian sandalwood (<i>Santalum album</i> L.) is valued globally for its fragrant heartwood and premium essential oil, yet natural variation in growth and heartwood traits remains insufficiently documented. This study investigated growth attributes, heartwood properties, and essential oil composition of <i>S. album</i> in the Nachivayal Sandalwood Reserve II (NSR-II), Marayoor, Kerala. Forty-seven trees—representing 40% of the 118 trees across defined girth classes—were sampled. Each tree was assessed for biometric traits; heartwood dimensions; bark and sapwood thickness; heartwood color (CIELAB parameters); and essential oil yield and santalol composition using GC–MS. Marked variation was recorded in growth and wood traits, with heartwood proportion ranging from 61% to 98% and oil yield from 3.1% to 6.7%. PCA and correlation analyses revealed strong positive associations among growth traits, heartwood thickness, and heartwood proportion, indicating coordinated allocation to structural development. In contrast, oil constituents—particularly β-santalol—showed weak or negative relationships with growth traits, suggesting potential trade-offs between biomass accumulation and secondary metabolite production. Heartwood darkened and became more saturated with increasing girth, and these color attributes correlated positively with oil yield and total santalol content. High-yielding, santalol-rich individuals identified in NSR-II provide promising germplasm for breeding, clonal propagation, and conservation. The findings enhance understanding of trait variability and support targeted strategies for sustainable management and genetic improvement of <i>S. album</i>.</p>

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Unveiling intraspecific variation in growth, heartwood pigmentation, and oil chemistry of East Indian sandalwood: case study

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月19日

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  • Muniammal Vediappan Durai,
  • Gaddam Sudharshan Reddy

摘要

East Indian sandalwood (Santalum album L.) is valued globally for its fragrant heartwood and premium essential oil, yet natural variation in growth and heartwood traits remains insufficiently documented. This study investigated growth attributes, heartwood properties, and essential oil composition of S. album in the Nachivayal Sandalwood Reserve II (NSR-II), Marayoor, Kerala. Forty-seven trees—representing 40% of the 118 trees across defined girth classes—were sampled. Each tree was assessed for biometric traits; heartwood dimensions; bark and sapwood thickness; heartwood color (CIELAB parameters); and essential oil yield and santalol composition using GC–MS. Marked variation was recorded in growth and wood traits, with heartwood proportion ranging from 61% to 98% and oil yield from 3.1% to 6.7%. PCA and correlation analyses revealed strong positive associations among growth traits, heartwood thickness, and heartwood proportion, indicating coordinated allocation to structural development. In contrast, oil constituents—particularly β-santalol—showed weak or negative relationships with growth traits, suggesting potential trade-offs between biomass accumulation and secondary metabolite production. Heartwood darkened and became more saturated with increasing girth, and these color attributes correlated positively with oil yield and total santalol content. High-yielding, santalol-rich individuals identified in NSR-II provide promising germplasm for breeding, clonal propagation, and conservation. The findings enhance understanding of trait variability and support targeted strategies for sustainable management and genetic improvement of S. album.