Agrotechniques of Selected Medicinal Plants Suited for Homesteads of Kerala

AGROTECHNIQUES OF SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS SUITED FOR HOMESTEADS OF KERALA

Gracy Mathew, Baby P. Skaria, J. Thomas, Samuel Mathew and Joy P.P.

Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Research Station, Odakkali, Asamannoor P.O., Ernakulam District, Kerala, India, PIN-683 549

INTRODUCTION

The Western Ghats, one of the two hot spots of biodiversity in the country, harbour around 500 medicinal plant species of which around 400 species are used in Ayurveda; the rest contribute to the tribal and folklore medicines. Among these about 150 species are collected for manufacturing of medicines, dyes, cosmetics etc on a commercial basis. Less than 20 species of plants are under commercial cultivation. More than 90% of the crude drug is collected from the wild and over 70% of the plant collections involve destructive harvesting because of the use of parts like roots, bark, wood, stem and the whole plant in case of herbs. This poses a definite threat to the genetic stocks and to the diversity of medicinal plants if biodiversity is not sustainably used.

The demand of major crude drugs is growing substantially in Kerala.. Recently a reawakening in the interest on herbal medicines has necessitated a scientific knowledge on medicinal plants. The forests have been the source of many of the medicinal plants, but the destruction and degradation of their natural habitats has resulted in the extinction of many species. The poor availability of raw drugs has also resulted in adulteration. To check the adulteration in raw drugs, the highly used medicinal plants have to be domesticated and cultivated. In the process of domestication, the most important step is the development of agrotechnology. Holostemmaada-kodien locally known as Adapathiyan belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae is a plant which is now considered as threatened. The plant is used in eye diseases, haemetemesis, cough, tuberculosis etc. Alpiniagalanga is a perennial aromatic rhizomatous herb. Because of the presence of essential oil, the rhizomes are used in bronchial troubles and as a carminative. Kaempferia rotunda is an aromatic herb with tuberous root-stalk, the tubers of which are widely used as local application for tumours, swellings and wounds. They are also given in gastric complaints. Curculigoorchioides (Nilappana) is a small geophilous herb, the tuberous root stock of which is used as a rejuvenating and aphrodisiac drug (Kolammal, 1963). Very little work has been done on the agrotechnology of these crops.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The studies on standardization of agrotechniques in Holostemmaada-kodien (Adapathiyan), Alpiniagalanga (Chittaratha), Kaemferiarotunda (Chengazhineer kizhangu) and Curculigoorchioides (Nilappana) were taken up during 1995-2002 period at Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Research Station, Odakkali. Various field experiments were laid out to investigate the growth pattern, manurial requirements, optimum harvesting time and management practices in theses crops. The data were analysed statistically as per the methods suggested by Panse and Sukhatme (1978 ).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Holostemma ada-kodien

a.Time of harvest

Field trials were laid out to optimise the harvesting time and the data are presented in Table1. The four six monthly harvests undertaken indicated that the dry weight is increasing up to 12 months contrast to the fresh weight. At six-month stage the tubers are succulent and there is more water content in tubers. The18th month harvest showed a drastic reduction in fresh and dry weight. This drastic reduction in tuber weight was due to the fact that after summer while the tubers remained in the soil, fresh shoots are produced and the plant started its active vegetative phase. May be that the stored food in the tubers were utilised for re-growth.

Table 1. Yield of tubers at different stage of harvest

b. Manurial requirements

The objective was to find out the optimum level of fertiliser application for maximum tuber production in Holostemma. The experimental details as well as fresh and dry weight of tubers are given in Table 2.

Table 2.Yield of tubers at harvest.

Treatment

The maximum yield was obtained in farm yard manure plots. The biofertiliser treatment did not show any benefit . Though yield increased with NPK application over control, the yield was only 50% of that of farm yard manure treatment. Application of FYM along with NPK increased the yield substantially over NPK alone.

Alpinia galanga

a. Time of harvest

Experiment to assess the time of harvest (Table 3) showed that rhizome and rhizome oil yields were maximum at 42 months, followed by 36months.

Table 3. Rhizome yield parameters of Alpinia galanga as

influenced by time of harvest

b. Spacing and manurial requirements

The results of the experiment (Table 4) showed that the optimum spacing for obtaining maximum rhizome and oil yields in Alpinia is 40x30 cm. Application of FYM at 20 t/ha/year or NPK at 100:50:50 kg/ha/year produces significantly higher rhizome yields. Application of biofertilizer at 10 kg/ha or cowpea green manuring in situ resulted in significantly superior rhizome yields over the control.

Table 4. Effect of spacing and manurial treatments on the yield

parameters of Alpinia galanga

Kaempferia rotunda

a. Effect of spacing

The crop was planted at different spacing to find out their effect on rhizome yield. The maximum yield was obtained at 30x 20 cm spacing (Table 5).

Table 5. Effect of different spacing on the yield of Kaempferia rotunda

b. Effect of organic manures and biofertilizers

The objective of the experiment was to assess the requirement of organic manures and biofertilizers for realising maximum yield in Kaempferia rotunda. The data are given in Table 6.

Table 6. Effect of different manurial treatments on the growth and yield of Kaempferia rotunda.

Mulching had the maximum pronounced effect on the yield of Kaempferia rotunda which was followed by the application of compost, FYM and vermicompost. The maximum rhizome yield was produced in the plot mulched two times; basally and after the first top dressing.

Curculigoorchioides

a. Optimum spacing and planting density

The experiment was aimed to find out the optimum spacing for maximum yield in Curculigoorchioides. The treatments involved 4 spacings viz. 10 x 10cm, 20 x 10cm, 20 x 20cm, 30 x20cm. The observations on plant height and rhizome yield are given in Table 7. Spacing had no significant effect on the growth of Curculigo orchioides. The yield was maximum at the narrowest spacing of 10 x 10 cm due to higher number of plants per unit area.

Table 7. Observations on rhizome yield and nutrient content of curculigo

orchioides at different spacing.

b. Optimum time of harvest in Curculigo orchioides

The objective of the trial was to find out the best time of harvest for maximum yield in Curculigo orchioides. The growth and yield parameters such as plant height and rhizome yield increased till seven months and decreased subsequently indicating that harvesting the crop seven months after planting is ideal (Table 8).

Table 8. Effect of time of harvest on growth and rhizome yield

c. Effect of shade and spacing on the yield and quality of Curculigo orchioides

The effect of shade and spacing on the yield and quality of Curculigo orchioides was studied in a replicated experiment. Shading enhanced the growth and yield of Curculigo orchioides. Plant height was maximum at 75% shading. Rhizome yield was highest (1482.8 kg/ha fresh and 643.3 kg/ha dry) at 25% shading (Table 9).

Table 9. Effect of shade on Curculigoorchioides

REFERENCES

Kolammal, M. 1979. Pharmacognosy of Ayurvedic Drugs Pharm Unite, Ayurvedic College, Trivandrum-10: 15-24

Panse, V.G. and Sukhatme, P.V. 1978. Statistical methods for Agricultural workers. Third edition. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, p. 347

C:/Joy/ICAR 1995

AGROTECHNIQUES OF SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS SUITED FOR HOMESTEADS OF KERALA

Gracy Mathew, Baby P. Skaria, J. Thomas, Samuel Mathew and Joy P.P.

Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Research Station, Odakkali, Asamannoor P.O., Ernakulam District, Kerala, India, PIN-683 549

Abstract

Herbal medicines were in use from ancient past; however it suffered a severe set back with the introduction of modern medicine. Recently a reawakening in the interest on herbal medicines has necessitated a scientific knowledge on medicinal plants. The forests have been the source of many of the medicinal plants, but the destruction and degradation of their natural habitats has resulted in the extinction of many species. The poor availability of raw drugs has also resulted in adulteration. To check the adulteration in raw drugs, the highly used medicinal plants have to be domesticated and cultivated. In the process of domestication, the most important step is the development of agrotechnology. For cultivation as sole crop or as intercrop in coconut, arecanut, rubber etc. and to increase the farm revenue, the medicinal plants such as Kaemferia galanga, Piper longum, Plumbago indica, Indigofera tinctoria, Holostemma ada- kodien, Kaemferia rotunda, Alpinia galanga, Asparagus racemosus etc. can be selected.

Systematic experiments were carried out at AMPRS, Odakkali for standardisation of agro- techniques of Holostemmaada-kodien (Adapathiyan), Alpiniagalanga (Chittaratha), Kaemferiarotunda (Chengazhiner kizhangu) and Curculigoorchioides (Nilappana). Harvest of Holostemma is done at the end of second year which yield about 500 kg roots per hectare. Alpiniagalanga can be cultivated as intercrop in coconut gardens and young rubber plantations and it yield about 2.5 t rhizome per hectare at the end of third year. In the case of Kaemferiarotunda, the crop can be harvested after seven months to give 12-15 t fresh rhizome per hectare. Curculigoorchioides prefers shade and grows best as intercrop. The dry tuber yield is 1-1.5 t/ha if harvested during first year. Double the yield is obtained if harvested during second year.

KERALA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

AROMATIC AND MEDICINAL PLANTS RESEARCH STATION

Odakkali, Asamannoor P.O., Ernakulam District, Kerala, India, PIN-683 549

Tel. (0484) 2658221& Fax: (0484)2659881, E-mail:

No 201/03Date 28/02/03

From

Associate Professor & Head

To

The Convenor

National Workshop on Homestead Farming

FSRS, KAU, Sadanandapuram 691 550

Kottarakkara, Kollam

Sir,

Sub:- National Workshop on homestead Farming- full paper and registration fee-

forwarded.

Ref:- Your letter dated 10/02/03

Thank you for accepting the paper on “Agrotechniques of selected medicinal plants suited for homesteads of Kerala”. As per the above, I am sending herewith a copy of the full paper along with a soft copy of 31/2” floppy disc of the article received from Dr. Gracy Mathew of this station. The registration fee of Rs. 200/- is also enclosed as Demand draft No. 133347 dt. 27/02/03.

Yours faithfully

(Baby P. Skaria)

Encl. Hard copy, soft copy and DD for Rs. 200/-

PPT matter

It is interesting to note that when the seedlings planting in the field, tuberisation was very poor even after twelve months where as, the tuber formation was fairly good in polybag grown plants. It is observed that when the plants are in the field, the roots continue to grow laterally. So it is presumed that the root has to strike an impervious layer / obstruction to start tuber thickening. It may so happen that the tubers may be formed few meters away from the base of the plant and they may not be harvested. The tuber formation in polybags is reasonably good and the entire tubers could be harvested. Hence polybag cultivation could be commercially adapted for Holostemma cultivation.

The present market rate for raw drug is Rs. 300/kg. At present the raw drug is collected from the wild. As the tubers are harvested, the rate of decline of wild population is very drastic. The scope for natural regeneration is low. So here there is high scope for domestication of this species.

In Kaempferia rotunda (Chengazhinirkizhangu)

• planting at 30 x 20 cm spacing seems to be ideal
• mulching exerted maximum influence on rhizome yield
• fertilizer had no significant influence on yield

CONCLUSION

Medicinal plants cultivation can be introduced as a component if the existing cropping system for increasing the form economic viability.

Lack of marketing is the stumbling block in the taking up cultivation of medicinal plants commercially in the state. Buy back arrangement is to be made with user industry so that marketing of the form produce is assured for the farmer.

Quality control crude herb is to be imposed.