·RISEIVol. 22 NO.2

Research InformationSeries on Ecosystems

May -August 2010 I

I'

I11

IIII Kalukoi (Ficus callosa Willd.)I and Malambingan

Broussonetia luzonica (Blanco) .1.

1for Boat Making I'--- ~ Ii_______________ ==.1

and

Bagalunga(Melia dubia cav.)

a multipurpose tree species

ECOSYSTEMS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUREAU. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

College 4031 , Laguna

Dir. Marcial C. Amaro, Jr.CESO III

Ms. Liberty E. AsisMs. Marla V. Cambay

Dr. Elpidio F. RimandoDr. Rafael T. CadizMs. Maria P. Dayan

Ms Irene O. Tenorio!Mr. Nestor S. Leviste

Ms. Carmelita G. ReyesMs. Flora B. Palicpic

Mr. Liberato A. BacodMr. Nestor S. Leviste

This issue of RISE presents information on three forest tree specieswhich do not only have potentials for environmental restoration but also providelivelihood opportunities for the people.

Bagalunga (Melia dubia Cav.) is an indigenous species which has diverseuses ranging from timber production to ecological rehabilitation/protection. It isalso suitable for agroforestry. Trees can grow very fast, depending on the sitecondition 1., like in the Visayas where the species abounds.

Kalukoi (Ficus callosa) and malabingan or malambingan (Broussonetialuzonica) are fast-growing species. Both possesshiQhlypri~6dwoodfor dug-out canoes or boats, especially in the Visayas and Mihdan?o. Kalukoiwood islight and resistanttorn~rine borer, while malambingani~ resistant to~at.f:}~.Planting of these species is recomll)ended as a means of livelihood ror'e;Qastalcommunities especially for people's organizations undertheCoa~tal 9nvironmentProgram on Community-Based Forest Management PrograJT!ofth601£~R

In Bohol, kalukoi timber from Surigao sells at P3,OOOa piece. It is usedmainly for boat making. Kalukoi wood can be harvested when it matures at 8-10years. This can be shortened if appropriate silvicultural techniqlies are applied.

We hope that theinformation in this publication will serve as a guide forpeople interested in the establishment of plantation of the abovementioned treespecies for economic and ecological reasons.

/1i/CIAL C. AMARO, JR.

Director

PhQtOCOllrte$y of Dr. Eugene Bautista ofERDS Re~()n 8

Bagalunga(Melia dubia cav.)

a multipurpose tree species

Table of Contents

Page PageBagalunga

Common name 1 Environmental requirements 2Local names 1 Phenology 2Scientific name 1 Seed technology 3Family 1 Nursery practices 3• Description 1 Plantation establishment 3Distribution 1 Care and maintenance 3Uses 1 Pests and diseases 3Habitat 2 Growth rate 4

References 4

KalukoiCommon name 6 Uses 6Local name 6 Habitat 6Scientific name 6 Environmental requirements 7Family 6 Phenology 7Description 6 Seed collection & germination 7Distribution 6 Growth rate 7

Malabingan, malambinganCommon name 9 Habitat 10Local name 9 Environmental requirements 10Scientific name 9 Propagation 10Family 9 Seed collection 10Description 9 Germination 11Distribution 10 Plantation establishment andUses 10 growth rate 11

References 11

Common name: Bagalunga, China berry (English)

Local names: Agalunga, bagalunga (Central Visaya); bagalunga, paraiso(Visaya.); balangago, gango, Iintana, maliba, maluggayan,sili-sili (Tag.); bulilising (Uk.); mamabuaya (Chab.);mangulingan (Lan.); pulau (Mangyan).

Scientific name: Mefia dubia Cav.

Family: Meliaceae

A fast-growing and indigenous tree reaching up to 15 m tall and 50 cm indiameter. Depending on the site condition, the tree can reach up to 30 m intotal height and 110 cm in dic;meter. The bole is irregular. Its crown is open,while the bark is dark gray, smooth when young, and b~come fissured whenmature. Leaves are deciduous and dark green. Twigs are green and smooth.Flowers are in clusters. The petals are hairy, white, numerous and fragrant.The mature fruit has a hard endocarp, yellow in color, in capsule whichcontains two to five seeds. .

China berry tree grows throughout tropical Asia, Africa and Australia, andwidely distributed in the Philippines. It is indigenous to Eastern VisayasCebu, Negros Provinces in Central Visayas and Eastern Mindanao where itis now being cultivated.

• WoodFor timber production, wall board, wall panelling, door panel, furniture,farm implements, jalousies, flooring, boxes and crates, houseconstruction, turnery, dug-out canoes, decorative veneers, and firewood .

• Ecological rehabilitation/protectionSoil fertility improves because of its high biomass. It regenerates easilyand protects watershed areas because of its tendency to grow densely.

• AgroforestryIt is planted as a component of the home garden and shade for abaca

plantation.

• MedicinalBark can cure skin diseases and open wounds. Leaves when boiled cancure stomach ache. Fruit is an anthelmintic and serves as remedy for

colic.

• InsecticidalLeaves, when dried' and burned, drive away mosquitoes. They are alsoused as insecticide for chicken and hog pests. The seed oil was reportedto have an insect repellant value like that of neem (Azadirachta indica) .

• Other usesResearchers in Maasin, Leyte have found that Bagalunga is a goodreforestation species. Leaves hasten the ripening of bananas. Seedsare being manufactured intor~sary beads and bracelets.

M. dubia cav. can be found growing along beaches, narrow alluvial plains,in calcareous and non-calcareous, hills, and in undulating to sloping landscape.It grows with shrubs and other pioneering tree species 'in grassland andabandoned clearings tt)at are developing towards a second-growth forest.Usually, it comes out after an area is burne~

Rainfall - 600-1000 mm less evenly distributed throughout the yearElevation - 5,230 mm sea level, found also in elevations as high as 1,000

m in JavaSoil - sandy loam to clay and clay-loam soils with pH of 5.3 to 8.35,

.low to high in nitrogen and phosphorous, deficient in potassiumand poor to fairly rich in organic matter

Flowering is from May to December. Seed collection is from August

to December.

2 ~SE

• Seed source - Busay, Babatngon, Tolosa in Leyte; seeds are availableyear round .

• Seed collection method - tree climbing or use of bamboo poles andscythe. Cut the branches that have mature fruits.

• Seed extraction and processing - Soak the ripe fruit in tap water,break the stones, extract the seeds.

• Seed count - 500 seeds/kg• Seed storage - Stored seeds in polyethylene bag at room temperature

(28°C) can remain viable for 14 months. When stored at a temperatureof 5°C, seeds can have a prolonged viability of 6% MC.

• Pre-treatment - Crack the stones carefully using pliers to break theendocarp. Soak the seeds immediately in tap water for 24 hours.

• Sowing - Sow the seeds in piastic trays or seed bed with fine sand.• Potting - Transport the seedlings in plastic bags with sterilized

ordinary garden soil (OGS) + humus + Biotab.• Shading - Immediately before transplanting, plac-e the seedlings in

a shaded area for 3 weeks before hardening.• Watering - Water the seedlings regularly.• Weeding - Weed once a month or as the need arises.• Hardening - Harden for 4 months in full sunlight to simulate actual

field condition.

Nursery-grown seedlings are recommended for plantation establishment.It grows faster compared to direct seeding. The spacing is 3 m x 3 m.Outplanting is done at the onset of the rainy season. The plantable height is14 to 25 cm. This gives a high percent of survival.

Spray appropriate fungicide/insecticide when the seedlings are attackedby pests/diseases. .

Place Height (m) Diameter (em) Age (yrs.)

Tolosa, Leyte 15.0 51 8Maasin, Leyte 9.5 36 5Matalon, Leyte 19.69 16

EROB, DENR. Undated. DENR Recommends. Reforestation Pocket Series1b. Indigenous Reforestation Species.

Hensleigh, T.E. and B.K. Holaway. 1988. Agroforestry species for thePhilippines. AJA Printers. p. 223.

Quisumbing, E. 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha PublishingCo., Inc. p. 485.

Ramilo, V. 2003. Phenology of Bagalunga (Melia dubia CaY.). UnpublishedTerminal Report. ERDB-DENR Region 9. Zamboanga City.

_____ .2003. Storage condition for Bagalunga (Melia dubia CaY.).Unpublished Terminal Report. ERDB-DENR Region 9. Zamboanga City.

_____ . 2003. Production of quality planting stock for Bagalunga (Meliadubia CaY.). Unpublished Terminal Report. ERDB-DENR Region 9.Zamboanga City.

Nasayao, E. E.; L.Z. Nasayao; M.A .. Zara and E.V. Ulep. 1992. Bagalunga:Melia dubia Cay. towering with purposes. Canopy International. Vol. 18no. 5. pp. 9-12.

Kalukoi (Melia dubia cav.) andMalambingan (Broussonefia luzonicCi

(Blancol for Boat Making

Compiled by

Local names: hindang (Leyte and Surigao); taloot or manyupay(Cebu and Negros Oriental)

Kalukoi is a large tree with a diameter at breast height (dbh) of 55 cmand a height of 29 m (merchantable at a height of 17 m). Crown is conical tospreading especially in the open. Inside the forest, the tree is generally taller,nearly cylindrical, with a narrow crown concentrated at the top. Leaves aresimple, forming a whorl with a heart-shaped base and the margins almosttouching each other. The round fruit measures 2 cm in diameter, greenishgray and powdery and emanatesfrom the leaf axis in pairs from a slenderindividual peduncle measuring 3 cm in length. The inner portion of the fruit,including the fleshy seed covering is pinkish. Bark is khaki in color, 1 cmthick. with prominent leaf/branch abscission layers. This fast-growing andindigenous species bark is whitish and produces a colorless sap that causesskin irritation and burning sensation. (This may account for the tree resistanceto borer and termite attack).

Widely distributed in the Visayas and Mindanao and in a limited numberin the Bicol region.

In Leyte where the species is thriving well, the trees are harvested forboat making. Another use is for furniture making.

shade, which were planted at the same time as those in the open, wereonly 3 m tall and 3.5 cmdbh. An eight-yeat-old tree growing amongcoconuts and mango trees had a straight bole measuring 25 cm in dbhand has 10m merchantable height and 14 m and total height, respectively.Another big tree (reckones to be aqout 20 to 25 years old) within an oldacacia (Samanea saman) stand had a dbh of 55 cm, merchantable height

The highest elevation at which kalukoi has been sighted is about 100 m -. of 16 m and total height of 29 m. As with the tree within the coconut-as!. mango plantation, the bole is nearly cylindrical. In contrast, trees in the

open were not as tall or as cylindrical, exhibiting generally wider crowns,shorter boles and denser foliage. The species appears to be shade

; tolerant, surviving under heavy canopy and then shooting up rapidly whenit reaches canopy level.

Collect seeds from rotting fruits that have fallen under the canopy. 'Germination is from 15 to 20 days. Percent germination from rotting fruit local names:is 4 to 50% while those from fresh fruit is 80%. The seeds can berefrigerated up to 5 months but with germination decreasing to 10%. Amedium sized fruit has 220 tiny brown seeds. The seeds turn brown whenmature. The seedlings go through a grass stage taking 2 to 3 months to idevelop bigger leaves. Once the seedlings have produced bigger leaves(3 cm x 6 em) growth becomes more rapid. The species is susceptible todamping-off (fungal infestation due to overcrowding, limited sunlight andover watering). To prevent this, use a seed box filled with fine sand. Usingthe broadcast method, sow the seeds at appropriate distances to avoidovercrowding. For higher germination and robust seedling, allow moresunlight to penetrate by using a semi-transparent plastic shade.

The tree is typically found along roadsides and in urban areas usuallysolitary and rarely in groups.

A prolific seeder, kalukoi starts to bear fruit at 2 to 3 years, but producesviable seeds in 4 to 5 years. It has no definite fruiting season. In Cebu, seedfall is March to April and July to August.

Kalukoi is a fast growing indigenous species increasing 4 to 5 cm indiameter and 2 to 3 m in height every year in good sites. At 4 months, aplantation in San Isidro, Leyte established on a level ground topsoil, hadan average height of 1 m and a dbh of less that 1 cm. In another site, ona slope made of felled material, two-year trees in the open were found tohave an average dbh of 8 cm and total height of 7 m. Two trees under

MALABI~GAN,MALAMBINGAN

Alibag (Cagayan); alitagtag (Camarines); alokon bongon(Mt. Province); baeg (Pangasinan); bulbulan (Cebu andNegros); himbaba-o (Nueva Ecija); kabag (Mindoro);karud (Misamis); Iiba (Davao); malabingan (Sulu);talubang (Siquijor).

Scientific name: Broussonetia fuzonica (Blanco) Bur. var glabra (Wardb.)Comer

A small to medium-sized tree which grows up to 30 em diameter andmerchantable height of 25 m. Total height reaches up to 27 m. Sqmetrees, however, reach up to 40 em. Leaves are simple and alternatelyserrated. The tree is dioecious (having male and female flower in separatetree). Trees with male flower develop fruits like the male papaya. Maleflower is pendulous, curve to twisted, light green, up to 5 cm long and 5mm diameter. Fruit is soft and head is covered with fine hairy structures.The matured fruit with a diameter of about 3 cm contains numerous tiny

ovate brown seeds 2 mm in diameter. Bark is whitish and smooth. It is adrought- tolerant and fast-growing species.

The tree is used to shade abaca plantations and serves asintercropin agroforestry. and ro~dside plantation. In Mindanao, the wood is bestknown for paneling, furniture and cabinet work, hunstocks, musicalinstrument and general construction. In Visayas, especially in Siquijor.Cebu and Negros Oriental, the wood is highly prized for dugout canoes ,because of its resistance to water.

. Sow seeds in seed boxes fiJled with an ant- free germinating mediumas th~ s~eds are eaten by ants. Germination period is 8-10 days.Germmatlon percent is 30%.

.••~on~-y~~r oJd~nal~~.ingan plantation trial (.25 ha) from pottedwlldhngs In LIlt-a, Maia,SfqUtlor registered an average diameter and heightof 4.25cm and 4.87m. respectively. This indicates that the species isre~lIy .fast- growing. The survival rate is 85%. The said plantation isbemg tntercropped with corn.

, httpllwww.oneocean.org/overseas/200003Ificus cal/usa for banca making

It is found at low to medium altitudes and thrives very well in sandy html!.soil with limited soil moisture and high soil temperature.

Malambingan is propagated by seeds and wildlings which is abundantunder the canopy of some trees. The hardy wildlings have high survivalrates. '..

Collect the mature fruit indicated by the brownish seeds and lesssticky murky sap, otherwise bats and birds will eat all of them. Fruit is~oakedfor 3-4 days to hasten ripening before maceration. Fruit is thencrushed in fine screen wire to extract the tiny seeds. Sundry the seedsfor 1 day and air-dry for 2 days befor~ storing or sowing ..

I Osmena. L; C.E. Yao and R. Ibanez. Undated. Fieus callosa: Unheraldedspecies shows promise as livelihood sources for coastal communities.

Rojo, J.P. 1999. Revised Lexicon of Philippine trees. FPRDI-DOST,College, Laguna. pp. 269.

Yao, C.E. 1995. Species trial of some indigenous species in Siquijor.The Philippine Lumberman. Vol. 41 No.1. p. 21-23.

_____ . 1995. Malabingan for dugout Canoes. The PhilippineLumberman. Vol. 42 NO.4. P 37.

To properly update our mailing list, we request you toprovide us with new information on your presentaddress, if necessary. Please inform ERDB throughthe:

The Circulation OfficerEmail: f1orapalicpic@yahoo.comEcosystems Research and Development BureauCollege 4031 , Laguna

To properly update our mailing list, we request you toprovide us with new information 'on your present address,if necessary. Please inform ERDB through the:

The DirectorEcosystems Research and Development BureauCollege 4031 , LagunaTel. Nos. (049) 536-2229; 536-2269; 536-3221;536-3628; Fax No. (049)536-2850