Elm (Ulmus wallichiana): A Vulnerable Lesser Known Multipurpose Tree Species of Kashmir Valley

Ulmus wallichiana belongs to the family Ulmaceae and is distributed throughout the western Himalayas from Kashmir to Uttarakhand and Nepal. The tree being multipurpose has been heavily exploited in the valley for fodder, fuel wood, agricultural implements, ropes and building purposes, as a result of which, it had become endangered (FAO,1995). Of late it has been categorised as vulnerable (IUCN, 2015). This is as a result of sustained efforts by various agencies that have been able to increase the area under the plantation of Elm. Propagation problems both in cuttings and seeds have added to its woes and paved the way for its being endangered. Although the species is vulnerable so far no concrete programme has been devised to conserve the species or initiate massive afforestation programme, for increasing area under its plantation. AICRP on agro forestry has prioritized the species for temperate region of Kashmir valley and is making constant efforts to evaluate the species under different agro ecological conditions. Research trials based on its evaluation under moisture stress conditions has found that the species thrives best and ranked first in survival on rain fed areas and evaluation on sloppy lands has proved its versatility under agroforestry systems where under yields of both Rabi and Kharif crops have recorded increase over control thus proving the combination to be suitable and at the same time complimentary, besides additional revenue was generated by way of harvesting fuel wood and fodder from the trees. Efforts are also being made to popularize it among farming community by distributing seedlings, so that area under its plantation is increased and the species is prevented from becoming extinct. The paper besides these aspects throws light on its status, maturity indices of seeds, vegetative propagation, fertilizer requirements and other agroforestry related research results.