Agricultural Practices of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Sridhar Gutam, PhDSenior Scientist (Plant Physiology)

ICAR Research Complex for Eastern RegionResearch Centre, Ranchi 834010

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

• Forests - main source of the raw materials for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicines. • IUCN Red Data book – Due to unsustainable

collections from the forests.• Promoting cultivation of medicinal plants.• Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research

(DMAPR)/Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).• The Department of AYUSH/National Medicinal Plants

Board (NMPB).

Some Important Medicinal Plants

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Dunal)• JA 20 and JA 135 - important high yielding varieties available for cultivation.

• Safed musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum Santapu& Fern.)• JA 405 is the high yielding variety available for cultivation.

• Guggal (Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari• Tinospora (Tinospora cordifolia Miers ex Hook f. & Thoms.)• Satavary (Asparagus racemosus)• Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Nees)• Isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk.)

• GI 1, GI 2, GI3, JI 4, HI 5 and Niharika are available for cultivation.• Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl)• Aloe (Aloe barbadensis Mill)• Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L) G.Don)

Guggal Commiphora wighti (Arn.) Bhandari

Guggal• The oleo-gum-resin is of importance in international

trade• Extracted at unsustainable rates, causing declines• Guggal gum - is a mixture of 61 % resins and 29.3 %

gum.• Guggulosterol and guggulosterone are the important

active ingredients of the gum resin.• The oleo-gum-resin of guggal is highly effective in

the treatment of obesity, arthritis and several other diseases in Indian System of Medicine.

Guggal - Oleo-gum-resin• Oleo-gum-resin is

present in the ducts of paranchymatous bark.• Near the base of the

tree, an incision is made at a depth of about half the thickness of the bark.• Oleo-gum-resin oozes

from the cut and gets solidified to brownish yellow.

Guggal Cultivation: Method and Practices

• Practiced spacing under cultivation: 3 x 3 m2

• Tapping of the tree: November – January • Collection: Until June

• Growth and development under different plant population densities• 1, 4, 6, 11 plants/m2 [30x30, 40x40, 50x50, 1x1

m2]• Yield and production of oleo-gum-resin• 6, 12 & 12 months after planting

Gutam (2009) Unpublished

Oleo-gum-resin: Tapping yield

Treatment Expt. A Oleogumresin Yield (g)

Tapping Technique Success

(%)

Expt. B Oleogumresin Yield (g)

Tapping Technique Success

(%)T1 11

Plants/m216.80 28 18.17 63

T2 6 Plants/m2 19.76 19 13.61 71T3 4 Plants/m2 8.79 31 13.42 76T4 1 Plant/m2 3.86 44 9.31 81

Gutam (2009) Unpublished

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv.

commiphorae (Xac)

Guggal – Plant Population Density

• Thickness of the stem range was 12 – 14 mm at 6 months after planting (MAP). However, at 12 MAP and 18 MAP, the stem thickness increased to 22 – 31 mm.

• The stem thickness (83 mm) and heavy stem (80 g) was found in 1 plant/m2 density as no much competition per unit area when compared to other treatments.

• When compared among the treatments, higher dry matter was partitioned into stems in T4 (71%).

• When guggal is tapped, it yielded 4 g/m2 at 44% tapping success whereas, T1 and T2 yielded 187 g/m2 and 120 g/m2 at 28% and 19% tapping success (higher density of plantation).

• The plant population density and the stem characters like thickness and weight can be effectively used for the successful tapping of guggal for higher ole-gum-resin production per unit area under commercial cultivation.

Gutam (2009)

Thank You All@SridharGutamgutam2000@gmail.comsridhar.gutam@icar.gov.in