HYDERABAD: Ugadi is not far away, and the special pachadi that is prepared on the New Year’s Day that combines all the six basic tastes is something that most of us look forward to. However, one of the important ingredients of the recipe — the Neem flower — is becoming increasingly hard to find.
Once a common tree in households and road sides, the Neem is fast disappearing from the landscape of Hyderabad and other parts of the State. The Neem flower, as a result, has become a rare commodity that comes at a big price this festive season. Experts attribute the disappearance to a parasite called Loranthus or Honey Suckle Mistletoe that affects the tree’s growth.
In recent years, another serious threat has emerged — a scale insect called Aonidiella orientalis. These pests feed on the tree sap. Though they do little harm to older trees, they can kill the young ones. Honey Suckle Mistletoe plants are parasitic. They anchor themselves onto the branches and suck water and nutrients directly.
They engulf entire sections of the tree blocking the much-needed sunlight that is crucial to its growth. Ironically, mistletoe plants die along with the Neem as their food source dries up.
At the point of attachment, haustorium penetrate into the tissue of the host to absorb nutrients and water. This weakens the host. The place at which the parasite is attached to the host tree and where the haustoria penetrate often swell into tumours which vary in size according to age of the parasites. When the tree is infested by the parasite, there will be a considerable reduction in the yield of fruit and leaves wilt and show unhealthy green colour. Neem trees can be protected by removing the parasite in the early stages of its growth. Cutting the branch affected by Loranthus before it spreads to other branches of the tree will also help.