Agro Techniques of Medicinal Plants

AUTHOR: Dr. Ravindra Sharma
ISBN: 9788170353461
YEAR: 2004 (First Edition)
PAGES: 278
BINDING: Hard
LANGUAGE: English

ABOUT THE BOOK

Medicines are the second most essential requisite after food for mankind. For medicines, medicinal plants are the important sources of raw drugs. Therefore, the demand on plant based therapeutics has increased many fold in both developing and developed countries due to the growing recognition that they are natural products, being non-narcotic, having no side effects, easily available at affordable prices. Due to huge demand of plant-based crude drugs throughout the world, today urgent need to domesticate or cultivate the medicinal plants in large scale to fulfill the unexpected demand. But due to lack of systematic information on cultivation of medicinal crops at one place, growers are not ready to adopt such practices in their agro-system.
Changing herbal market scenario rapidly and expanding local and global market and immense export potential to Europe, America and other Western Countries has opened up a new prospective field for Indian agriculture. To fully make-use of this emerging demands world-wide, appropriate knowledge regarding their value addition, processing, market potential (export/import) of crude drugs, adulterants & substitutions of crude drugs and standardization & quality control is of utmost important. This unique book ventures to probe into this very important area covering almost the entire gamut of the burning issues relating to medicinal plants. The export of crude (herbal) drugs is gaining strength due to its inherent advantage coupled with the pro-liberalization. This invaluable book consisting of 11 chapters contributed every aspects related to the cultivation of medicinal plants viz. nursery technology, biofertilizers & biological pest control, organic farming, agro-technique (50 commercial important medicinal plants), harvesting technology & value addition, adulterants & substitutions, market potential (export/import), Standardization and quality control, legislation & policy, sustainable conservation & development strategies. This book is a ready manual and information database for policy makers, administrators, academia, exporters, extension workers, manufactures, growers and general readers interested in medicinal plants.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Ravindra Sharma (born January 21, 1970) is presently President & Managing Director, GREEN FOUNDATION (For health care, social equity & biodiversity conservation), a reputed Non-Government Organisation (NGO), Dehradun. He has been actively associated in research and development (R&D) in the field of cultivation & domestication of medicinal herbs, Green Health Mission, ethnobotany and conservation biology. He has contributed more than 35 research papers, general articles in national and international journals of repute. He is the author of 3 popular books viz. Medicinal Plants of India: An Encyclopaedia; Dictionary of Ayurveda; Aushdiya evam Sugandhiya Paudhuon ki Krishi Taknik" (won second prize under 'Rajbnasha Puruskar Yojana (2002), sponsored by Defense Research & Development Organisation, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, New Delhi). He is the member of several societies concerned with botanical or environmental research and development. He has extensively traveled to the remote areas of Himalaya and has been devoted to record the traditional heritage knowledge of the folk people, beside his concern in the biodiversity and sustainable use of plant resources in the North-West Himalaya.

CONTENTS

Foreword
Preface
Important Tips for Cultivation of Medicinal Plants

1. Introduction 2. Nursery Technology
    I. Nursery Management Tips
        1) Site Selection
        2) Potting Mixture (Nursery-Soil)
        3) Seed Collection and Sowing
        4) Watering
        5) Transplanting
        6) Nursery Hygiene and Disease Control 3. Biofertilizers and Biological Pest Control
    I. Manures
        1) Farmyard Manure
        2) Green Manure
    II. Biofertilizers
    III. Biopesticides
        1) Natural Pesticides
    IV. Integrated Pest Management (BPM) 4. Organic Farming: An Approach for Sustainable Herbi-culture
    I. Concept of Organic Farming
    II. Needs of Organic Farming
    III. Economic and Market Status
    IV. Organic Market
    V. Constraints and Opportunities
    VI. Suggestions
    VII. Indian Needs 5. Agro-Techniques of Medicinal Plants
    AONLA (Phyllanthus emblica)
    ASHWAGANDHA (Withania somnifera)
    BABCHI (Psoralea corylifolia)
    BASELLA(Basellaalba)
    BELLADONNA (Atropa acuminata)
    BISHOP'S WEED (Ammi majus)
    BRAHMI (Bacopa fnonnieri)
    BUCKWHEAT (Fagopyrum esculentum)
    CHEBULIC MYROBALAN (Termwalia chebula)
    CINCHONA (Cinchona officinalis)
    COLEUS (Coleus forskohlii)
    COPTIS (Coptis teeta)
    COSTUS (Costus speciosus)
    COWHAGE (Mucuna pruriens)
    DANTI (Baliospermum montanum)
    DATURA (Datura stramonium)
    DIGITALIS (Digitalis purpurea)
    DIOSCOREA (Dioscorea deltoidea)
    DUBOISIA (Duboisia myoporoides)
    ERGOT OF RYE (Claviceps purpurea)
    GLORY LILY (Gloriosa superba)
    GUGGAL (Commiphora wightii)
    HENBANE (Hyoscyamus niger)
    HIMALAYAN GINSENG (Panax pseudo-ginseng)
    HIMALAYAN YEW (Taxus wallichiana)
    INDIAN ALOE (Aloe barbadensis)
    INDIAN LONG PEPPER (Piper longum)
    INDIAN TEJPAT (Cinnamomum tamala)
    IPECACUANHA (Cephaelis ipecacuanha)
    ISABGOL (Plantago ovata)
    JATAMANSI (Nardostachys grandiflora)
    KALMEGH (Andrographis paniculata)
    KUTH (Saussurea costus)
    LIQUORICE (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
    MUSK MALLOW (Abelmoschus moschatus)
    NEEM (Azadirachta indica)
    OPIUM POPPY (Papaver somniferum)
    PERIWINKLE (Catharanthus roseus)
    PODOPHYLLUM (Podophyllum hexandrum)
    PRIMROSE (Oenothera lamarckiana)
    PYRETHRUM (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium)
    QUINGHAO (Artemisia anna)
    RED SORREL (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
    SAPED MUSLI (Chlorophytum boriuillianum)
    SARPENTINE ROOT (Rauvolfia serpentina)
    SENNA (Cassia angustifolia)
    SHATAVAR (Asparagus racemosus)
    SILYBUM (Silybum marianum)
    STEROID-SOLANUM (Solanum viorum)
    SWEET FLAG (Acorus Calamus) 6. Harvesting Technology and Value-Addition of Medicinal Plants
    I. Collection
    II. Harvesting
    III. Drying
        1) Natural Drying (Sun-drying)
        2) Artificial Drying
    IV. Garbling (Dressing)
    V. Packing
    VI. Storage
    VII. Value-Addition or Processing
        1) Decoction
        2) Extraction
        3) Maceration
        4) Dehumidifying
        5) Freeze-Drying
    VIII. Preservation
    IX. Active Constituents 7. Adulteration and Substitution of Crude (Herbal) Drugs 8. Market Potential (Export/Import) of Crude Drugs 9. Standardization and Quality Control of Medicinal Plants
    I. Botanical Identity and Pharmacognostical Examination of Raw Materials
    II. Protection of Therapeutic Potentials of the Raw Materials
        1) Collection and Drying
        2) Storage and Preservation
        3) Biological Assay 10. Legislation and Policy of Medicinal Plants
    I. National Medicinal Plants Board
    II. Goals of National Policy
    III. Future Action Plan 11. Sustainable Conservation and Developmental Strategies for Medicinal Plants
    I. Conservation of Biological/Genetic Diversity
        1) In-Situ Conservation
        2) Ex-Situ Conservation
    II. Cultivation or Domestication
    III. Involvement of Primary Stakeholders
    IV. Model for Cultivation of Medicinal Plants
    V. Sustainable Harvesting
    VI. Community Based Enterprises
    VII. Research
    VIII. Training
    IX. Documentation and Dissemination of Information (Computerized Database)
    X. Procedures/Steps to Boost Trade in Medicinal Plants List of Endangered Medicinal Plants
Glossary of Technical Medical Terms
Bibliography
Index of Scientific Botanical Names
Index of Common Vernacular Names