importance of medicinal plants

1. Seminar
on
Prospects and Status of Medicinal & Aromatic plants and their
Agronomical Intervention with Special Reference to Rajasthan
Speaker
Vinit Kumar Meena
Ph.D. Scholar
Department of Horticulture
Rajasthan College of Agriculture,
Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology,
Udaipur-313001 (Rajasthan)

2. Out line of my seminar topic
• Introduction
• Present status of MAP’s in India & Rajasthan
• Distribution of major medicinal & aromatic plants in Rajasthan state
• Scope and Opportunities of Cultivation of MAP’s in Rajasthan
• Uses of medicinal & aromatic plants
• Marketing and developmental strategies
• Agronomic interventions & case studies in MAP’s
• Constraints for the development of medicinal
crops and their solutions
• Impact points to achieve higher productivity and quality
• Future Research opportunities.

3. INTRODUCTION
• Medicinal plant:- medicinal plant is a plant that has similar properties as conventional
pharmaceutical drugs.
• Aromatic plants are a special class of plants useful their aroma and flavour.
• Humans have used them throughout history to either cure or lessen symptoms from an illness.
• A pharmaceutical drug is a drug that is produced in a laboratory to cure or help an illness.
• Rajasthan is the third largest and one of the backward states of India.
• The states is situated in the north-western part of India between 23003’ and 30012 N latitude
and 69030’ and 78017 E longitude and comprises an area of about 3,42,239 Sq Km.
• A striking geological feature of Rajasthan state is the Aravelli range which divides the state into
two main physiographic regions,
• 2/3 sandy arid plain which is less productive
• 1/3 eastern fertile region rich in vegetation.
• About 80% of the population live in villages and tribals of different communities form nearly
50% population of the state.

4. Present scenario of medicinal plant
 In India, medicinal and aromatic plants cultivated area and production
is 634 thusand ha.1030.85 mt, respectively.
 While in Rajasthan, medicinal and aromatic plants cultivated area and
production is 401 thusand ha. 196 mt, respectively.
 Medicinal plants are grown all over india and export in foreign country
like USA, UAE etc.

5. State wise area and production of MAPs in percentage
Fig 1: State wise Area under Aromatic and
Medicinal plants
Fig 2: State wise Production of Aromatic and
Medicinal plants
Chowti et al. 2018

6. Area, Production and Productivity of Important
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Rajasthan
Crop Area (ha) Production (tones) Productivity (kg/ha)
Ophium poppy 8461 394 59.83
Isabgol 81,538 41,721 512
Mehandi 42,339 26,027 614
Ajwain 10,753 5784 538
Methi 45,138 5459 1208
Aswagandha 2000 1600 800
Senna 1308 - -
Suwa 2093 - -
Rose 1000 - -
Safedmusali 1012 - -

7. Scope and Opportunities of Cultivation of Medicinal & Aromatic
Plants in Rajasthan
• Tolerant to low salinity, alkalinity and drought.
• Cultivation in poor fertile soils is possible.
• Lower doses of fertilizers and other chemicals were applied in soil.
• Availability of organic waste/FYM in appropriate quantity.
• Abundant availability of manual labour.
• Increasing demand of domestic and international market.
• Diversified agroclimatic and edhaphic conditions of the state.
• Industrial growth rate is very high.

8. Important MAP’s crops suitable for different agro-climatic zones of Rajasthan
Agro – climatic zone Annual rain fall (mm) Main district /area Suitable crops
Arid western plains (Zone –IA) 100-300 Western Barmer, Jodhpur Senna, Guggal, Isabgol, KatKaranj,
Rohida and Aloevera
Irrigated north- western plains (Zone- I B) 100-300 Canal irrigated area of Ganganagar and
Hanumangurh
Aonla, Bael, Chameli, Mentha, Mogra,
Rosagrass and Sadabahar
Hyper arid partially irrigated western plains
(Zone-I C)
185- 390 Jaislmer, Bikaner and Sujangurh,
Sardsrsahar and Rattangarh tehsil of
Churu district
Senna, Guggal, Isabgol, Methi
Shankhpushpi and Lemon grass
Transitional plains of inland drainage (Zone-II A) 300-500 Nagore, Eastern Churu, Jhunjhunu and
Sikar
Senna, Mullethi, Guggal, Aonla, Adusa,
Tulsi and Aloevera
Transitional plains of Luni Basin (Zone-II B) 300-500 Western Sirohi, Eastern Jodhpur, Pali
and Western Jalore
Babchi, Muskdana, Isabgol, Mehndi,
Aonla, Aloevera, Bijoranimbu, Ajwain,
Methi, Rosegrassand Vettiver
Semi arid eastern plains (Zone- III A) 500-600 Ajmer, Jaipur, Tonk and Dausa Sadabahar, Guggal, Aonla, Akarkara,
Vajradanti, Rose, Khas, Lemongrass,
Aloevera, and Citronella grass
Flood prone eastern plains (Zone- III B) 500- 650 Southern Eastern Alwar, Bhartpur,
Dholpur, Southern Sawaimadhopur,
and Karoli
Gilory, Shatavari, Mulethi, Babchi,
Aonla, Khas, Lemongrass, and
rosegrass
Sub humid southern plains and Aravalli hills
(Zone-IV A)
500-700 Eastern Sirohi, Udaipur, Bhilwara,
Rajasamand and Chittorgarh
Kalihari, Ajwain, Sarpagandha,
Ashwagandha, Aphim, Kalmegh, Safed
musali, Suwa, Chirmi, Rose and
lemongrass
Humid southern plains (Zone- IV B) 500-1050 Dungarpur, Banswara, Southern-
Eastern Udaipur and Southern
Chittorgarh
Jatropa, Khas, Salammishri, Kaunch,
Salar etc.
Humid south-eastern plains (Zone- V) 650-1000 Jhalawar, Kota, Baran, and Western
Sawaimadhopur
Aswagandha, Aphim, Kalmegh, Ajwain,
Suwa, Mentha, Aloevera

9. Improved varieties of medicinal and aromatic crops
Crops Improved varieties
Opium poppy Chetak Aphim, Thrishna, Kirtiman, Jawar aphim-540 and Jawahar aphim- 16
Ashwagandha Jawahar Asgandh- 20 and Jawahar Asgandh-134
Safed musali RC-64, Jawahar Safedmusli- 405
Isabgol Jawar Isabgol -4, Gujrat Isabgol- 1, 2, 3, Rajasthan Isabgol- 89, and Hissar
Isabgol- 5
Kalmegh Narendra Dev kalmegh- 1, 2, Anand Kalmegh-1
Shatawari HAR-4, HAR-5 and HAR-6
Mulethi Haryana Mulethi No. 1
Ajwain Gujrat Ajwain -1, NRCSSA-1 and NRCSSA-2
Senna Anand selection, sona, KKL-1
Aloevera IC- 111269 and IC-111273
Vetiver grass CIMAP KS-1, CIMAP KS-2, Sugandha, Dharini, Gulabi and Keshri, Hybrid-8
Periwinkle Nirmal, Dhawal
Lemongrass OD- 440 and OD- 19
Rosagrass IW- 31245 and RH-49, Jawahar Rosa- 68
Mentha Supriya, Gomti and Kosi-1
Guggal Marusudha

10. Use of different parts of medicinal plants
Roots
30%
Bark
14%Whole plant
16%
Flowers
5%
Leaves 6%
Fruits
10 %
Rhizome
4%
Stems
6%
Rhizome
4%
Seeds
7%
Wood
3%
DMAPR, Anand, Gujrat

11. Classification and uses of important medicinal plants in Rajasthan
Common name Botanical name Family Part used Important
constituent
Uses
ASWAGANDHA Withania somnifera Solaneaceae Root Withanine,
Somniferine
Anti stress
SAFED MUSALI Chlorophytum
borivillanum
Liliaceae Root Withanine,
Somniferine
Anti-stress, improve the
male potency
GHIRTHKUMARI Aloe vera Liliaceae Leaves Aloin Laxative property
GUGGAL Commiphora wightii Burseraceae Oleogum, resin Gugglusteroids Anti inflammatory
SENNA Cassia angustifolia Cesalpinaceae Leaves and pods Sennisides
ABCD
Laxative and purgative
property
PYRETHRUM Chrysanthemum
cinerariaefolium
Compositae Flower Pyrethrin insecticides
ISABGOL Plantago ovata Plantaginaceae Husk, seed Mucilage Anti-diarrhoea
Sarpagandha Rauvolfia serpentina Apocynaceae Dried root Serpentine,
Reserpine
Controlling blood
pressure
poppy Ophium poppy Poaceae Capsule Codeine painkiller

12. Classification and Uses of Important Aromatic plants in Rajasthan
Common name Botanical name Family Part used Important
constituent
Uses
Lemon grass Cymopogon spp. Poaceae Leaves citral Synthatic vitamin A
Soil conservation
Kewda Pandanus fasicularius Pandanaceae Flowers luplin Kewda water
Mint Mentha arvensis Lamiaceae Leaves menthol Scenting supari
Patchouli Pogostemon patchouli Lamiaceae Leaves patchouliol Fixative property
Vettiver grass/ Khus Vetiveria zizanioides Graminae Roots citronellal Perfume industry
Muskdana Abelmoschus moschatus Malvaceae Seed farnesol Musk odour used in
incence sticks, perfumery
Rose geranium Pelargonium graveolens Geraniaceae Leaves and
flower
rhodiinol Perfume industry
Celery Apium graveolens Apiaceae Seed and leaves selinene Flavouring in sauces and
purees
Citronella grass Cymbopogon winteranus Poaceae Leaves citronellal Mosquito repelleants and
scented soap

13. Herbal Remedies
Disease Species to be targeted
Hypertension Guggul (Commiphora weightiii)
Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentina)
Terminalia species
Diabetes Mamejo (Enicostema axillare)
Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestere)
Cancer Kokum (Garcinia) species
Annona
Dengue Papaya (Carica papaya)
Immunomodulation Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata
Malaria Artimesia (Artemisia annua)
Women health Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)
Asoca (Saraca asoca)
Parkinson’s or
Alzheimer disease
Velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens)
Laxative Isabgol (Plantago ovata)
Senna (Cassia angustifolia)

14. Global Market for Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants
• It is difficult to assess reasonable degree of accuracy with the volume or value of the trade in
medicinal and aromatic plants because trade statistics do not identify all the plants
individually.
• Products reported as medicinal plants often include :
• Gums, spices and plants where the end use includes the food industry, teas and infusions,
cosmetics and even insecticides. (more demand)
• Finally, the situation regarding trade in medicinal plants is rather more complicated because of
the levels of secrecy maintained by traders, and the complexity and the disorganized nature of
the trade structure/channel itself.
• (WHO) estimates put the global market for herbal products, including medicines, health
supplements, and herbal beauty and toiletry products at over USD 80 billion.

15. Global market for Medicinal herbs
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
2002 2020 2030 2050
60
1200
1740
5000
US$Billions
Year
 80% of the world population depend on traditional systems of
medicines for primary health care
 China and India are the worlds leading exporters of MAP based
drugs.

16.  Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
 Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH)
 National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB)
 Defense Research and Development Corporation (DRDO)
 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMAR)
 Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
 Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
 M/o of Environment and forest (MoEF)
 Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
 Central Institute for Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (CIMAP)
 Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI)
 Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM)
 Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
Linkages

17. DEMAND
MAP’s
CULTIVATION
TECHNOLOGIES
MARKETING
FACILITIES
QUALITY OF
RAW
MATERIAL
CONTINOUSLY
SUPPLY
ECONOMIC
CULTIVATION
OF MADICINAL
PLANTS
REQUIREMENT OF SUCCESSFUL CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS

18. Conservation of Medicinal Plants
18
Conservation
In situ Community Conservation Ex situ
 National Parks
 Protected Areas
 Biosphere Reserves
 World Heritage Sites
(Forest Departments)
 Medicinal plants
conservation Areas
 Medicinal Plants
Development Areas
In situ Ex situ
On- farm On-farm
•Seed gene banks
•Botanical or Herbal
gardens
•Home Herbal Gardens
•Community herbal
gardens
•Medicinal plants
conservation parks
•Cultivation of MAPs
•Field gene banks
- Land races - Sacred groves
- Folk Varieties
(Tribal and
Rural families)

19. Agronomic Interventions In MAP’s
Agronomic intervention is the manipulation in farm
management practices, agricultural practices etc. in
skilful manner to get maximum quality produce and
net return from per unit area and time.
Quality produce
Maximum net-return
Environmental safety
Sustainable income

20. Agronomic Intervention
• Nutrient management
• Cropping system
• Water management
• Weed control
• Crop husbandry
• Harvest time &Post harvesting management
• Utilization of marginal / problems soils
• Organic cultivation of MAP’s

21. Nutrient management
• Work on nutrient management in medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP’s) is
fairly a recent phenomenon; a little more than three decades.
• MAP’S gives very good response to nitrogen application in increasing the herb
and oil yield and quality. Also there is scope to use slow release N fertilizers/
nitrification inhibitors to increase the N use efficiency.
• Application of P, K and S along with micronutrient viz., Zn and biofertilizer are
also found beneficial in increasing the essential oil yield of aromatic grasses.

22. Table 1. Efficient N Management techniques in Java citronella
Technique % improvement NUE over conventional method
Split application
Urea supergranules
Neem-cake coated urea
DCD-treated urea
Fe-deficiency correction
Combination of organics and inorganics
16
12-15
25
31
36
33
(Prakash Rao et al.,2000b)

23. Nutrient uptake (kg/ha/years)
Treatment
Herb yield
(t/ha/year)
Essential oil
yield
(kg/ha/years)
N P K
N kg/ha/year
0 24.5 177.4 86.9 25.9 116.4
150 40.9 299.9 145.0 30.7 181.6
300 60.6 444.9 228.4 37.0 252.7
450 52.9 383.9 229.0 31.2 220.4
S. Em. + 2.97 21.55 11.94 1.60 15.37
C.D. at 5% 6.07 44.01 24.38 3.26 31.38
Table-2 : Yields of herb and essential oil, and nutrient uptake in
java citronella at various N levels
CIMP, RC (Bangalore) Prakasa Rao et al. (1989)

24. Cropping system
 MAP’s are generally considerd as a diversification crops while it is agronomically possible to cultivate MAP’s as pure crops;
 it is prudent to incorporate MAP’s in existing improved cropping system in order to improve land use efficiency and economic
gains while minimizing risks to the farmers.
Table 3 Some improved cropping aromatic crops
Cropping system % improvement in land use efficiency
Citronella +(cow pea-fingermillet) 46
Citronella +(green gram -fingermillet) 45
Citronella +(green gram – ground nut ) 43
Citronella +(green gram – sorghum ) 40
Palmorosa + black gram 15
Palmorosa + cowpea 13
Geranium + cowpea 29
Geranium + cowpea 33
Prakash Rao et al.,2000b

25. Some improved varieties of MAP’s
crop Name of the variety Yield potential
Aromatic plants
LEMONGRASS Krishna 209 kg essential oil/ha/yr
CITRONELLA GRASS Bio-13 243 kg essential oil/ha/yr
PALMAROSA PRC-1 80 kg essential oil/ha/harvest
Mentha arvensis Kosi 193 kg essential oil/ha
Medicinal plants
ASHWAGANDHA Poshita 14 q/ha
PYRETHRUM Hansha 20.6 q/ha
POPPY Sweta 75-80 kg opium/ha
SENNA Sona 11 q leaf, 4 q pod/ ha
PERIWINKLE Nirmal 55- 65 q/ha
According to Patra & kumar 2005

26. Water management
• Moisture stress is considered to be one of the environmental factors
responsible for accumulation of secondary metabolites in plants.
• However, agronomists have found that supply of water is a signifiacant
factor for the production of MAP’s.
• On opium poppy (P. somniferum) moisture stress during rosette formation
to flowering period reduced opium and morpine yield and the crop require
favourable moisture throughtout, which amounts to a consumptive use of
376 mm .
• Opium production response to moisture levels (20, 40, 60, 80% ASM) was
quadratic.
• Irrigation of Aloe vera at 0.8 IW:CPE ratio was recommended in semi- arid
tropical conditions.
Prakash Rao, E.V.S. 2011

27. Influence of irrigation schedule based on IW:CPE Ratios on yield and
attributes characters in Isabgol
Treatments Length of spikes
(cm)
Test weight of
1000 seeds (g)
Seed yield (kg
ha-1)
Straw
yield (kg
ha-1)
Harvest
index (%)
Irrigation (I)
4.08 1.77 762 3978 15.73I1(0.4 IW:CPW ratio)
I2 (0.6 IW:CPW ratio) 3.88 1.75 682 4042 13.77
I3 (0.8 IW:CPW ratio) 3.53 1.75 573 4396 10.98
I4 (flood irrigation-one month
interval between two irrigation)
3.68 1.77 730 3873 15.26
S.E. _+ 0.082 0.012 29.21 126.25 0.384
C.D.(P=0.05) 0.261 NS 93.45 268.21 1.229
C.V.% 8.26 2.79 17.02 12.40 11.02
Parmar et al. 2009

28. Weed control
• Weed management in MAP’s is important since weeds result in
significant yield losses and also loss in quality of final produce and at
the same time it is a costly, labour intensive farm operation.
• Weed reduced essential oil yield by 58-73% in mentha arvensis and
pre- emergence application of terbacil (1.5 kg a.i./ha) or oxyfluorfen
(0.25 kg a.i./ha).
• It was found to be efficient and the herbicides did not affect the
quality of oil.
Prakash Rao, E.V.S. 2011

29. Effect of different integrated weed management treatments on yield and
quality of Isabgol
Treatment Seed yield/
plant (g)
Yields (t/ha) Harvest
Index (%)
Protein
Content (%)
Seed Straw
T1 : Oxyfluorfen 50 g/ha post-emergence at 20 DAS 0.68 0.51 1.30 28.1 16.9
T2 : Oxyfluorfen 50 g/ha at 15 DAS + interculturing followed
by hand weeding at 30 DAS
0.68 0.81 1.96 29.2 17.5
T3 : Oxyfluorfen 75 g/ha post-emergence at 20 DAS 0.73 0.55 1.69 24.5 17.0
T4 : Oxyfluorfen 75 g/ha post-emergence at 15 DAS +
interculturing followed by hand weeding at 30 DAS
1.41 0.90 2.03 30.8 17.7
T5 : Isoproturon 500 g/ha as pre-emergence 1.18 0.90 1.96 31.3 17.6
T6 : Oxadiargyl 80 g/ha at 20 DAS 0.85 0.60 1.82 24.9 17.3
T7 : Oxadiargyl 80 g/ha at 15 DAS + interculturing followed by
hand weeding at 30 DAS
1.46 0.92 2.64 25.9 17.8
T8 : Oxadiargyl 100 g/ha at 20 DAS 0.97 0.64 1.92 24.5 17.4
T9 : Oxadiargyl 100 g/ha at 15 DAS + interculturing followed
by hand weeding at 30 DAS
1.62 0.96 2.73 26.0 17.9
T10 : Interculturing followed by hand weeding at 20 and 40
DAS
1.65 1.09 2.83 27.8 18.1
T11 : Un weeded 0.30 0.38 0.62 38.0 16.5
T12 : Weed-free 1.74 1.22 2.93 29.5 18.3
LSD (P=0.05) 0.29 0.19 0.38 3.94 NS
Salvi et al 2015

30. Crop Husbandry
• Improved varieties of some commercially important MAP’s have
contributed to improved production of secondary metabolites.
• Optimum time of planting resulted in higher productivity
• Planting spacing play an important role in the productivity of several
MAP’s
• Proper time and method of harvesting also play a significant role in
the productivity of MAP’s for example below-
• Maintaining a minimum harvest interval of 5 months for first and
sixth harvests, 4 months for second harvest and 2 months for other
harvests in lemongrass.
Prakash Rao, E.V.S. 2011

31. Harvest time and post harvest handling
• In plamorosa, oil quality improved when harvested at 95 days or
beyond.
• Oil content decreased linearly with increase in intensity of shade in
Ocimum gratissimum .
• Delayed harvest beyond flowering stage increased linalool content in
the essential oil. but decreased cineole and methyl chavicol
concentrations in Ocimum basilicum.
• Shade drying of leaves of mentha spicata gave a good product with
green colour and minimum loss of volatile oil compared to other
drying method.
Prakash Rao, E.V.S. 2011

32. Utilization of marginal/Problem Soils
• MAPs are generally perceived as crops that can be grown in marginal/
problem soils which is not entirely true.
• However, several researchers have explored suitability and cultivation
of some MAPs in such soils.
• Aromatic plants can be utilized for alternate land use systems in the
development of wastelands on water shade basis.
• Some aromatic crops like palmorosa, lemongrass, vetiver, german
chamomile and Medicinal crops like periwinkle, ergot of rye, Egyptian
henbane, isabgol suitable for cultivation in salt affected conditions.
• Liming of acid soil helped to increase geranium oil yield.
Prakash Rao, E.V.S. 2011

33. Organic cultivation of MAP’s
• Organic cultivation of MAPs has attracted the attention of scientists
and farmers. Most of the medicinal plants which are collected from
wild are organically produced by default.
• However, rapid loss of biodiversity, increasing need to cultivate
several species of MAPs and prospects of higher returns from
organically produced MAPs have opened the possibilities of organic
cultivation of MAPs. that organic production of essential oils in india
was possible.
Prakash Rao, E.V.S. 2011

34. Impact points to achieve higher productivity and quality
• Selection of appropriate crop and improved varieties
• Sowing and harvesting at proper time
• Judicious irrigation Management
• Appropriate drainage system
• Adoption of organic farming
• Scientific processing and post harvest management
• Packaging and storage
• Standardization of products
• Integrated management of manure and fertilizers
• Integrated weed management

35. Major constraints and their solutions
• Lack of technology and training
• Lack of quality planting material
• Lack of coordinated efforts
• Non availability of appropriate equipment's for sowing, harvesting,
threshing, winnowing, and processing
• Lack of scientific techniques of post harvest processing, packaging and
storage
• Marketing problems
• Standardization of quality and certification units are lacking
• Lack of credit facilities at lower interest rates
• Lack of transparent government rules and policies
• Lack of genuine literature

36. • India has great potentialities in MAP sector globally
• Need change in the vast canvass of availability of
quality raw drugs from pesticide residues, heavy
metal and mycotoxin.
• GACP implementation and certification-transform
future supply scenario and generate employment
opportunities
• DMAPR will develop strategies in participatory mode
with industries and other organizations to boost the
export of MAP products resulting into socio
economic benefits to the cultivators, collectors and
exporters
Way Forward