Effect of Storage Conditions and Chip Thickness on Katha and Cutch Yield

Acacia catechu Willd is valuable tree found in sub Himalayan tract to the Indus, eastward to Assam and throughout the peninsular in the drier regions ascending up to 900 m and sometimes found at 1200m amsl. Heart wood of Acacia catechu (khair) is used for extraction of katha and cutch. To evaluate the losses during storage and how losses can be minimized, khair wood were kept in three different storage conditions viz. shade, shade with end bee wax coating and some blocks of wood were kept in open. To see the effect of heartwood thickness on the yield of katha, the heart wood was converted into small chips having four thicknesses. The maximum yield of Katha was obtained from blocks coated with end bee wax and minimum in blocks kept in the open, as moisture content in the heartwood facilitates the extraction. Maximum katha yield was obtained in first month of storage and minimum in fifth month of storage. Katha yield also decreased with increase in chips thickness. The time of extraction is also reduced in case of lesser thickness due to quicker imbibitions of water. However, yield of cutch percentage is not affected by moisture content in the wood. Maximum cutch yield was obtained in wood blocks, kept in shade followed by blocks end coated with bee wax and minimum in open stored wood.