Interesting Facts

Accompanying Pongamia pinnata's many medicinal values are it's economic values.  The stems can be used for things like stove top fuels or ornamental carvings.  They are also used to make farm tools, cart wheels, and cabinetry.  Leaves are useful in the agricultural world as they repel insects in stored grain.  Also, Pongam leaves act as manure for growing rice and sugar cane.  Similarly, the seeds, which are high in protein and nitrogen, can be used as manure after the oil has been extracted.  The seeds can also be used as an insecticide for crop growth.  The fruits and flowers of these trees are edible making them a human food source.  Honey bees also find the flowers to be a good pollen source.  The tree bark fiber are useful in making strings and ropes and in making paper pulp.  Much like the stems, Pongam oil can be used as fuel for cooking and for burning in lamps.  It can also be used as an agricultural pesticide and to make soap and candles.  The oil is also found in the cosmetic and tanning industries.  Most importantly, Pongam oil is potentially going to be an efficient, non-toxic, and biodegradable diesel fuel source.

          

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