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Cultivation
Soils: Tamarind tree tolerate a great diversity of soil types but do best in deep,
well drained soils slightly acidic..
Irrigation: The tamarind is adapted to semiarid regions of the tropics and can
withstand drought conditions quite well. They require minimum irrigation so avoid over-watering..
Fertilization: Young trees should be fertilized every 2 - 3 months with a 6-6-3
NPK or similar analysis fertilizer. Apply 1/4 lb. and gradually increase to
about 1/2 lb. Bearing trees can be fertilized with 8-3-9 NPK or similar analysis, at rates of about 1/2 lb. per application per
year of tree age.
Pruning: Young trees are pruned to allow three to five well spaced branches to
develop into the main scaffold structure of the tree.
Harvest: Tamarind fruits mature in late spring to early summer. They may be left
on the tree for as long as 6 months after maturity so that the moisture content
will be reduced. Fruits for immediate processing are often
harvested by pulling the pod away from the stalk. Ripe fruit in humid climates is readily
attacked by beetles and fungi, so mature fruit should be harvested and stored under refrigeration.
Preservation: To preserve tamarinds for future use, they may be merely shelled, layered with sugar in boxes or pressed into tight balls and covered with cloth and kept in a cool, dry place.
Pest control and diseases: One of the major pests of the tamarind tree in India is the Oriental yellow scale,
Aonidiella orientalis. Tamarind scale, A. tamarindi, and black, or olive, scale, Saissetia
oleae, are also partial to tamarind but of less importance.
Tamarind as Medicinal tree
Medicinal is used extensively in
Ayurveda. Tamarind preparations are universally recognized as refrigerants in fevers and as laxatives and carminatives. Alone, or in combination with lime juice, honey, milk, dates, spices or camphor, the pulp is considered effective as a
digestive and as a remedy for biliousness and bile disorders, and as an
antiscorbutic. The pulp is applied on inflammations, is used in a gargle for sore throat and, mixed with salt, as a liniment for rheumatism. It
is administered to alleviate sunstroke, Datura poisoning, and alcoholic ntoxication.
Tamarind leaves and flowers, dried or boiled, are used as poultices for swollen joints, sprains and boils. Lotions and extracts made from them are used in treating conjunctivitis, as antiseptics, as
vermifuges, treatments for dysentery, jaundice, erysipelas and hemorrhoids and various other ailments. The fruit shells are burned and reduced to an alkaline ash which enters into medicinal formulas.
The bark of the tree is regarded as an effective astringent, tonic and febrifuge. Fried with salt and pulverized to an ash, it is given as a remedy for indigestion and colic. A decoction is used in cases of gingivitis and asthma and eye inflammations; and lotions and poultices made from the bark are applied on open sores and caterpillar rashes.
The powdered seeds are made into a paste for drawing boils and, with or without cumin seeds and palm sugar, are
prescribed for chronic diarrhea and dysentery. The seedcoat, too, is astringent, and it, also, is specified for the latter disorders. An infusion of the roots is believed to have curative value in chest
complaints and is an ingredient in prescriptions for leprosy.
Home remedies with tamarind:
For headaches due to excessive heat, soak tamarind pulp in water, squeeze it and
knead it well so that the pulp is dispersed completely and dissolves in water.
Strain it and to this extracted juice, add a tsp of ginger juice and drink.
For loss of appetite: Mix jaggery water with tamarind pulp and spice it with cinnamon (dalchini) and cardamom (elaichi) and drink it.
For Diarrhoea: Blend these ingredients: 1 tsp tamarind pulp, a cup of butter milk and a mashed
ripe banana and have it. It provides relief from diarrhea quickly.
For indigestion: Add a pinch of salt to tamarind pulp and chew it well, when you are suffering from indigestion.
For bleeding piles: Fry tamarind leaves in oil and ghee and cook in sufficient quantity of curd. Add
powder of dried pomegranate, coriander (dhaniya) seeds and dried ginger to it and take internally.
For common cold: In acute cold, soup made from tamarind pulp is beneficial.
For skin itching: Smearing a paste of tamarind pulp over the affected parts provides instant relief.
To treat freckles: Application of paste of the roots and bark of tamarind helps to remove freckles.
For white discharge (leucorrhea): Soak tamarind seeds in water for a day or two and then pound it on a stone slab with milk. Take this paste regularly.
For inflamed joints: Crushed with water and made into a poultice, the leaves are applied on inflamed joints and ankles. It reduces swelling and pain.
Tamarind other uses
The food uses: The tender, immature, very sour pods are cooked as seasoning with rice, fish and meats in India. The pulp is made into a variety of products. It is an important ingredient in chutneys, curries and
sauces and in a special Indian seafood pickle called "tamarind fish". Sugared tamarind pulp is often prepared as a confection. It is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, or as
a snack. In Africa tamarind has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.
Tamarind beverages: For the commercial production of spiced tamarind beverages have been developed
in India. The home method of preparing the ade is to shell the fruits, place 3 or 4 in a bottle of water, let stand for a short time, add a tablespoonful of sugar and shake
it. For a richer beverage, a quantity of shelled tamarinds may be covered with a hot sugar syrup
with or without the addition of cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, pepper or lime
slices and allowed to stand several days. It is then diluted as desired with ice water and strained.
Leaves: Fresh leaves with flowers are cooked and eaten as greens and in curries in India.
Flowers: The flowers are rated as a good source of nectar for honeybees in South India. The honey is
golden-yellow and slightly acid in flavor.
Seeds: The powder made from tamarind kernels has been adopted by the Indian textile industry as 300% more efficient and more economical than cornstarch for sizing and finishing cotton, jute and spun viscose, as well as having other technical advantages. It is commonly used for dressing homemade blankets. Other industrial uses
include employment in color printing of textiles, paper sizing,
leather treating, the manufacture of a structural plastic, a glue for wood, a stabilizer in bricks, a binder in sawdust briquettes, and a thickener in some explosives.
Oil: Tamarind seeds yield an amber oil useful as an illuminant and as a varnish especially preferred for painting dolls and idols. The oil is said to be palatable and of culinary quality.
Wood: Tamarind wood, weighing about 20-25 kg per cubic foot, is somewhat hard to work.
The heartwood is rather small, dark purplish-brown, very hard, heavy, strong, durable and insect-resistant. It bends
well and takes a good polish and, while hard to work, it is highly prized for furniture, panelling, wheels, axles, gears for mills, ploughs, etc.
The wood is valued for fuel, especially for brick kilns, for it gives off an intense heat, and it also yields a charcoal for the manufacture of gun-powder.
Twigs and barks: Tamarind twigs are sometimes used as
"chewsticks" and the bark of the tree as a masticatory, alone or in place of lime with
betelnut. The bark contains up to 7% tannin and is often employed in tanning hides and in dyeing, and is burned to make an ink. Bark from young trees yields a low-quality fiber used for twine and string.
Lac: The tamarind tree is a host for the lac insect, Kerria
lacca, that deposits a resin on the twigs. The lac may be harvested and sold as stick-lac for the production of lacquers and varnish.
Economics
Tamarind tree boosts the economy of a country. Its fruits, pulp, leaves, seeds and bark
are food items and also have medical applications. The wood, pulp and gum of tree also have many industrial
applications. Due to its denseness and durability, tamarind heartwood can be used in making furniture and wood flooring.
Its seeds oil, seed powder, resin, lac have many industrial applications.
Recent research
The extracts of tamarind fruits,
leaves, flowers and bark are used for cosmetic purposes - in body lotions
and henna based hair dyes etc.
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