Ludhiana: The Punjab Agricultural University has taken an initiative to revive the traditional berry tree after three Dukh Bhanjani Beri trees, a sacred jujube tree located within the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, known for its historical and spiritual significance, suddenly started wilting.
The Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPG) had roped in the university to find a solution to this, and a team with special doctors — Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar and Dr Sandeep Singh —was formed. The team inspected the berry trees for the first time in 2012, and after three years of treatment, they started bearing berries for the first time in 2015.
The ancient trees inside Gurdwara Sisganj Sahib, Gurdwara Qila Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdwara Sri Ber Sahib Sultanpur Lodhi, Gurdwara Sri Katana Sahib, Gurdwara Bunga Sahib, and Gurdwara Gurpalah Sahib were surveyed and treated by the team.
About the treatment, Dr Sinh said, "The ancient trees are affected by lacquer worms. The second mite disease, which is also called brown lice in Punjabi, sucks the sap from the branches. Due to which large ulcers form on the trees, leading to the drying up of the plant. Lac worms make the plant red, especially if we talk about the sacred berries of Sri Harmandir Sahib, which had innumerable lacquer ants. We treated these trees by making medicines from neem and dhrek. Spraying was also done as per the requirement, and a net was tied under it. The SGPC extended full support in reviving these ancient trees."
Dr Brar, principal scientist of the floriculture department in Punjab Agricultural University, said, "The berri tree is associated with the culture and heritage of India. It is native to India. Berries were commonly seen in our villages, but since the cultivation of paddy crops in Punjab, other trees along with Berries also started disappearing. People used to do gardening, but now they don't. We have treated the trees not only in Punjab but also in other religious places of the country."
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