Srinagar, March 7: Department of Social Forestry, Kashmir, has issued a public appeal on the management of cotton fluff produced by poplar trees in Kashmir in this spring season. Emphasizing that there is no link between cotton fluff from female poplars and pollen, as pollen is produced by male poplars and is invisible to human eye, the department said that the general perception that cotton produced by female poplars is pollen, is totally baseless and a myth only.
It has further called for selective lopping of female poplars upto 2/3rd height in the beginning of April every year or before the onset of flowering season.
Ziraat Times here reproduces the detailed appeal received from the Social Forestry Department:
“Poplar tree or ‘Safeda’ locally called as “Frass” in Kashmir, is a tall tree grown across the Kashmir valley mainly by farmers on their farm lands. This tree could be male as well as female. It is only the female poplar trees which produce seeds enveloped in a cottony fluff which is released during the months of April-May along with seed. This cotton fluff which is also called as Russi is taken as nuisance and is disliked in general due to various reasons for the purpose of seed dispersal.
To overcome the issue of cotton shed by female poplar trees in the months of April -May , people in general , farmers and private nursery owners in particular are requested to note and follow the information/ suggestions given below and cooperate in dealing with the problem:
1. Cotton is produced only by female poplar trees for seed dispersal. No cotton at all is produced by male poplars.
2. Female poplars must not be planted near or around homes, along banks of streams, rivers, near or around places of public importance like schools, hospitals .This is as per the directions of Hon’ble High Court.
3. All such female poplars who have attained a girth of four feet and above must be harvested in phased manner and same be replaced by planting alternative trees but not female poplar.
4. Raising and planting of male poplars be followed.
5. Farmers and private nursery owners are advised to stop raising and planting of female poplars as well as selling the same in open market.
6. Lopping of female poplars must be done upto 2/3rd height in the beginning of April every year or before the onset of flowering season. Identification of female poplars can be done on the basis of colour of catkins which are large and greenish in female poplars. Technical guidance in this regard can be sought from Social Forestry Department.
7. People must use face mask in the months of April and May as a precautionary measure.
8. There is no link between cotton fluff from female poplars and pollen, as pollen is produced by male poplars and is invisible to human eye. Please note that the general perception that cotton produced by female poplars is pollen, is totally baseless and a myth only.”
