Lac Farming Business | Kerria Lacca Farming | Shellac Production | লাক্ষা চাষ

Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes, which are dissolved in ethyl alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish. Shellac functions as a tough natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odour-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. Shellac was once used in electrical applications as it possesses good insulation qualities and it seals out moisture. Phonograph (gramophone) records were also made of it during the 78-rpm recording era which ended in the west during the 1950s.

From the time it replaced oil and wax finishes in the 19th century, Shellac was one of the dominant wood finishes in the western world until it was largely replaced by nitrocellulose lacquer in the 1920s and 1930s.

Introduction:

Shellac, an important resin of commerce is secreted by tiny gregarious lac insects, Kerria lacca (kerr), (Homoptera: Techardidae) thrining on various host plants. In India, two strains of this species kusmi and rangeeni are mainly grown on three tree host species viz., Kusum(Schleichera oleosa), palas(Butea monosperma) and ber(Ziziphus mauritiana) found scattered in forest and farmers’ holdings in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Orissa and parts of other states. Presently, plant population of above lac hosts is decreasing due to deforestation and unawareness of economic exploitation. Raising of new plantation of these species is time consuming because of their slow growing habit besides certain other limitations with regards to crop management, lac culture operations and protection. A bushy host plant species, Flemingia semialata Roxb. (Leguminosea: Papilionacae), has been identified and field tested as a potential fast growing host for intensive lac cultivation during winter season lac crop of Kusmi strain (aghani) fro increasing lac production to match pace with the growing global demand of lac.
Shellac is a natural resin produced by the scale insect Laccifer lacca, which is a parasite of certain host trees. Used mainly to make lacquer and glossing material, lac is a commodity that has been traded in the international markets since the early 20th century. Lac is also used today in electronics, printing, textile, clothing, cosmetics, and food. The United States and Japan are major importers of lac resin, while India and Thailand are the leading exporters

Flemingia Semialata is Host Plant of Shellac:

Flemingia Semialata

Flemingia semialata is a perennial, erect, quick growing and iput responsive lac host, grows up to height of about 3.0 m depending upon plant management. It has well developed root system which comprises tap roots and nodulation on the root hairs. Leaves are digitately trifoliate and leaflet elliptic acuminate. Flowering takes place during October-November and seeds ripen during the months January-February. The pods are oblong green, tomentose, swollen, sac like structure bearing two seeds. Seeds are round, black with sporadic white spots on the outer skin. One kg. seed contains approximately 27-30 thousand seeds. It has capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen, there by enriching soil fertility. In view of being responsive to high coppicing, manageable stature, this plant species is gaining popularity for production of superior quality winter season kusmi lac under rainfed condition.




This host is highly suitable for production of good quality Kusumi Lac crop during winter season (Agahani). However, Kusumi lac crop can also be cultivated on this host during summer season (Jethwi), but the productivity is a bit less.




As this plant attains very short height, it can be used for the purpose of intercropping with different crops and can provide extra benefit to the farmers. Moreover, it can be grown in soil having medium fertility, partial sloppy land with degraded soil of low fertility and slightly acidic condition.




The yield of Kusami lac earns Rs. 4 to 5 lakh per hectare Flemingia semialata and generates 620 days of employment in a year. The crop cycle of lac cultivation is of four months duration and since Flemingia is ideal in lac cultivation.

Shellac Smile on Farmers:

Rajiv Mani, TNN Mar 11, 2011, 11.03pm IST



ALLAHABAD: After earning accolades from different corners of the world and India, the city is gradually making it's presence felt on the Shellac Cultivation map of the country. Not only, the increased production lac is being tapped by the authorities of a centre, but this valuable material and a free gift of nature is transforming the economical status of thousands of farmers in and around Allahabad.

Throwing light on Shellac Cultivation, undertaken by thousands of farmers of Meja, Koraon, Shankargarh, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Chitrakoot and Bundelkhand region, Dr BK Dwivedi, a lac cultivation expert of Bioved Research Institute, Allahabad, said, "Lac is a natural resin of insect origin. It is secreted by lac insect ( Kerria lacca Kerr) and possesses a rare combination of many valuable properties and consequently finds place in diverse and innumerable uses in varnishes, polishes, food, pharmaceutical, agricultural industry besides lac, dye and wax, which have many useful industrial applications such as paint, perfumery and pharmaceuticals, dying of textile yarn and many other recently developed value-added products."

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Shellac Production

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Lac Farming Business | Kerria lacca Farming | Shellac Production

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