Canopy Management of the Great Banyan Tree in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, India

The present communication deals with the prop root training of Great Banyan Tree (GBT) of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (AJCBIBG), Botanical Survey of India, Howrah. The GBT spans an area of 4.86 acres and features over 4400 aerial prop roots, covering a canopy circumference of 543 meters. Notably, the tree has survived three major cyclones, including the latest one, Amphan, on May 20, 2020, which significantly impacted a major portion of the tree. To address the damage caused by all cyclones and facilitate the expansion of the GBT, the AJCBIBG Authority is continuously working to train the prop roots for improving canopy management using indigenous techniques developed by the staff over a decade for this age-old tree.