Influence of host plant on the physiological attributes of field-grown sandal tree (santalum album

This paper examines the influence of host plant,casuarina equisetifolia,on carbon assimilation,water and nutrient absorption in a 6-year-old field-grown sandal tree. sandal trees growing with host showed carbon assimilation rate of 17.66 μmol cm-2 s-1 whereas sandal trees growing without host plant showed only 15.13 μmol cm-2 s-1. sandal tree growing with host plant also showed higher pre-dawn plant water potential (-0.85 mpa) than sandal tree without host plant (-1.27 mpa). leaf nutrient contents were higher in sandal tree with host plant (n = 2.65%,k = 0.24%,p = 2.31%) compared with sandal tree without host plant (n = 2.48%,p = 0.16%,k = 1.68%). the host plant supplemented n,p and k requirement of sandal trees through haustorial connections. the most outstanding influence of the host plant was in increasing the k status of sandal tree. sandal tree depended on host plant mainly for maintaining plant water level and reducing water stress and the k status of the leaf played significant role in this. host plant was not only essential for initial establishment of sandal tree but was also required in the main field. © forest research institute malaysia.