Introduction
Casuarina equisetifolia is the most popular farmforestry tree in the coastal lands of Andhra pradesh,
Orissa, Tamilnadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat & Karnataka. Casuarina resembles feathery
conifer in general appearance. Almost all of the approximately 35 casuarina species produce top-quality
firewood. They are rapid-growing, carefree species for sites and climates as varied as coastal sand dunes,
high mountain slopes, the hot humid tropics and semi-arid regions. They tend to be salt tolerant, wind
resistant and adaptable to moderately poor soils. Although they are not legumes, they do have the ability
to form root nodules and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Casuarina equisetifolia can attain heights of 50 m
with diameter of around 1 metre. However, it is generally only 15 – 25 metres tall.
Bio-fertilizers are living microorganisms of bacterial, fungal and algal origin. Their mode of action differs and can
be applied alone or in combination. By systematic research, efficient strains are identified to suit to given soil and
climatic conditions. Such strains have to be mass multiplied in laboratory and distributed to farmers. They are
packed in carrier materials like peat, lignite powder in such a way that they will have sufficient shelf life. The list of
commonly produced bio-fertilizers in our country is given in Annexure1.
