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The Central Arid Zone Research Institute (Jodhpur, India) developed a technique for gum arabic extraction from Acacia senegal in which 4 ml per tree of a solution of Ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) containing 195 mg active ingredient per millilitre was used as the gum inducer during the hot dry season (March to June). Here, we report four experiments that assess the effect of various doses of Ethephon, of season of Ethephon application, of various land forms and the sustainability of the technique over years on gum and seed production. The technique resulted in a dramatic increase in average annual gum yields from 3.6 g per tree with no treatment to 425 g per tree undergoing alternate-year treatment. Every year, the application of Ethephon resulted in successive reduction in gum yields as well as seed yields, while alternate-year application ensured a stable gum production but also entailed successive reduction in seed yields. These findings show that Ethephon application results in a much higher gum production, but they also suggest long-term consequent effects on tree productivity.

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