| Cultivation details :
Climate :
It can withstand a great variety of climates,
but hot and humid conditions are good for its growth.
Soil type:
The species thrives on a variety of soils,
loam and even on wastelands. It grows well in lateritic soils
with moderate fertility.
Propagation :
Kalmegh is propagated through seeds as well
as by cutting methods. For commercial purposes the crop should
be raised from seeds. Vegetative propagation is also possible
in certain special cases.
Nursery raising :
Seeds can be sown directly in the field or
can be transplanted. For raising the seedlings the seeds are
sown in polythene bags filled with a mixture of sand, soil
and manure in equal proportions.
Transplanting :
Towards the last weak of June transplanting
of seeds is done in the beds. The ideal spacing of beds should
be 40-55 cm and the spacing of plants should be 25-40 cm.
Beds has to be irrigated immediately after plantation.
Irrigation :
3-4 irrigation is needed annually before
the rainy season.
Harvesting :
Harvesting should be done in the months of
Oct and Nov, when the flowering starts. Maximum herb biomass
can be obtained in 100 to 110 days. In the initial period
of flowering active principle andrographolide is high in leaves.
The leaves cut at the base level leaving about 10 cm of stem
for plant regeneration. The next harvest can be taken up after
30 days of the first.
Yield :
Average yield per hectare is about 2000-2250kg.
Of dry herbs, in case of leaf it is 450 to 550 kg. The price
for whole plant is Rs 3 to Rs 4/- and for leaves (40%)Rs 9-
Rs12/-. A well-maintained crop grown during monsoon season
yields 3.5-4.0 tonnes of dried herbs.
Economics :
| S.NO. |
ITEMS OF EXPENDITURE |
AMOUNT (Rs / ha) |
| 1. |
Seeds |
2,000 |
| 2. |
Raising of nursery and its maintenance |
300 |
| 3. |
Land preparation and lay out |
1,000 |
| 4. |
Farmyard manure, fertilizer and their
application |
1,800 |
| 5. |
Transplanting |
1,000 |
| 6. |
Irrigation |
500 |
| 7. |
Harvesting |
1,200 |
| 8. |
Drying, packing and storage |
1,500 |
| 9. |
Miscellaneous |
700 |
Returns per hectare
1. Herb yield dried- 3.6 Tonnes
2. Value of the drug @ Rs 12/Kg- 43,200
Net profit per hectare-Rs 33, 200
- Cultivation of medicinal plants by Dr.
C.K.Kokate, Dr. A.S.Gokhle and Prof. S.B.Gokhle
- Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic
rops by A.A.Farooqi and B.S.Sreeramu
|
