Herbal therapy

February 29 2024

BAHERA

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CLIMATE: The bahera plant has a wide ecological range, succeeding in tropical and subtropical climates. These plants can tolerate an annual precipitation ranges from 1,000 – 3,000 mm. Though it can tolerate 5°C to 45°C, it grows best in temperatures ranges within 20°C to 33°C.

SOIL: Though the plants flourish in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil with full sunlight, it prefers periodically dry soils, and is moderately drought tolerant. Soils with pH ranges between 5.5 to 6.5 is ideal.

PROPAGATION AND PLANTATION: Propagation can be done by seeds, pre-soaked in cold water for 24 hours to improve germination rates. But germination rate rapidly declines when seeds have been stored for longer than that. Germination needs much moisture, and usually takes 2 to 5 weeks from sowing.

The seeds are usually sown in a nursery seedbed; however, they can also be sown directly in the field when conditions are favorable. When seedlings are raised in the nursery, transplantation to the field shall be done before the taproot has developed. The seedlings become ready for transplantation within 10-40 days.
The pit for transplantation shall be dug before the onset of monsoon at a distance of 1 x 6 m in one ha land. In degraded areas pits shall be dug of larger size for good growth and development of plant. The plantation needs to be done in monsoon.

IRRIGATION: In summer (March to May) 3 times irrigation in one week shall be applied.
HARVESTING: Harvesting is mainly done in the month of November-February when fruits start turning greenish grey in color.

USES
The fruit is anthelmintic, astringent, digestive, tonic and laxative. It is also used to treat eye diseases, dyspepsia, liver disease, leprosy. The fruit helps cure upper respiratory tract infections. The fruits are among ingredients of Triphala, an Ayurvedic rejuvenate.
The bark and leaves are used for making a dye. The seeds produce a clear yellow oil which used for hair-oil and in the manufacture of soap.

February 29 2024

BAEL PATRA

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CLIMATE: Warm humid climate and sunny condition is ideal for cultivation of this plant. Young plants cannot survive temperature below 4°C or tolerate hot winds.
SOIL: These plants thrive well in swampy, alkaline, sandy loamy soil having pH range of 5.0-10.0.

PROPAGATION AND PLANTATION: Bael is generally propagated by seeds. Sowing is done in June or July. The seedlings require at least a year in the nursery to be fit for transplantation. They should be transplanted in monsoon. Other than seeds the plants also may propagated by root cuttings and stem cuttings treating with IBA (4000 ppm) using quick dip method.

Seedlings or budded plants shall be transplanted in the field during rainy season at a spacing of 10-12 m in one ha land. Budded plants start bearing fruits at the age of 4-5 years, whereas seedling trees require 7-8 years.

PLANT PROTECTION: The plants shall be grown without chemical fertilizers and use of pesticides. Organic manure is recommended.
IRRIGATION: The field after plantation should be irrigated periodically as and when required weekly or fortnightly as per the soil moisture condition.
HARVESTING: The fruits are deep green initially and become yellow gradually at ripening. The fruits are harvested along with a portion of fruiting stalk as it serves as a signal of ripening as it is easily detached only in the ripe fruits. The fruits require about a year for ripening.

USES
Bael is good for heart, reduces cholesterol, purifies blood, treats cancer, removes gastric problems and constipation, cures acidity and diarrhea, improves immunity and cools the body.
The fruit is used for preparing summer drinks, jams, toffees and other edible products. The leaves are used in religious purposes all over India, for which the tree is also called as holy fruit tree.

February 26 2024

ARJUN

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CLIMATE: The plant naturally occurs in subtropical and tropical moist regions of the country.
SOIL: The tree prefers alluvial loamy or black cotton soils, which are loose, moist, fertile, and have good drainage and water holding capacity. Riverbank soils, streams, and ravines are its natural habitat.

PROPAGATION AND PLANTATION: Propagation gives best results when seeds are used. Seeds can be collected in early summer from trees that are more than 6 years old. The seeds are viable for at least one year when stored in sealed tins. Seeds may be sown in nursery beds in early summer, usually just after collection.
The seeds should be soaked in cool water for 48 hours or put in boiling water and allowed to cool for 24 hours prior to sowing for better germination. The germination rate of pretreated seeds is up to 90%, while that of untreated seeds is 50 – 60%. Germination commences in 8–12 days and is completed in 7-8 weeks.
Germinated seeds may be transplanted in polybags with clay, manure, and sand in equal ratio. Alternatively, the pre-treated fruits are directly put in polythene bags in April, with half of the fruit above the soil. Pregerminated seeds are preferred to save time and ensure uniform germination. The seedlings are sensitive to drought during the germination stage as well as during the growth stage.

Pits of size 45 cm3 shall be dug at a spacing of 6 × 6 m for seedling plantation. About 10 kg Farmyard Manure and NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) at a ratio of 75:50:30 g needs to be added per pit per ha land and thoroughly mixed with soil as basal dose. In July-August about 10-month-old seedlings shall be planted in these pits.
PLANT PROTECTION: The medicinal plants have to be grown without chemical fertilizers and use of pesticides. Organic manures may be used as per requirement of the species. To prevent diseases, bio-pesticides like Azadirachtin can be applied.
IRRIGATION: Irrigation shall be done at 15-day intervals in the summer season for young plantations. Irrigation is generally not done during the winter season in the peninsular region.
HARVESTING: The Arjun tree starts flowering from sixth year onwards. Lifespan of the tree is 50 years and above. Bark is repeatedly. scrapped in winter season. The bark is removed from well grown trees, preferably 10th year onwards, in spiral or vertical strips of not more than 5 cm width and 25 cm length.

USES

The bark and gum are highly valued in Ayurveda as a tonic and cure for a host of cancer, heart, skin, urinary, and gynecological disorders.
The bark was once used to produce a brown dye and is
used as a tanning agent. It can be used for fuel, and for building in rural areas. The leaves are a choice feed for silkworm.

February 26 2024

AMROOD

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CLIMATE: Grows in tropical and sub-tropical regions upto 1500 m above sea level. Guava can tolerate heat and drought conditions of north Indian summers. Sever frost can kill the young plants. An annual rainfall of about 100 cm is sufficient.
SOIL: Heavy clay to very light sandy soils having pH between 4.5-8.2 are suitable for cultivation of guava. The crop is sensitive to waterlogging.
PROPAGATION AND PLANTATION: Amrood is vegetatively propagated by budding, inarching, or air layering. Monsoon is the ideal time for planting the layers and seedling. Soil must be prepared during the summer by ploughing, harrowing, leveling and removing weed. Pits of 1m3 are dug at a standard spacing of 6x6m before the monsoon and filled with a mixture of manure and soil.
PLANT PROTECTION MEASURES: Time of fertilizer application depends on the region and crop variety. In northern India, fertilizer shall be applied in the first week of May for rainy season crop and in first week of July for winter season crop. The fertilizer dose for Northern Region of India is 600 g. Nitrogen, 400 g. Potassium per hectare.

IRRIGATION: Amrood is mostly grown under rainfed condition. During winter season, irrigation is provided at an interval of 20-25 days and in the summer months it is provided at an interval of 10-15 days by the ring method. However, drip irrigation can be very effective in these plants too.

HARVESTING: The plants start bearing fruits at an early age of 2-3 years but they attain full bearing capacity at the age of 8-10 years. Guavas are harvested throughout the year (except during May and June) in different parts of the country. However, peak harvesting periods in north India are August for rainy season crop, November-December for winter season crop and March-April for spring season crop.

USES

The guava fruit is a good source of Vitamin C, Pectin, calcium and phosphorus. It can be used to treat colic, diarrhea, diabetes, cough, high cholesterol, cancer, heart diseases and cataract. Leaves of guava are used for dyeing and tanning. The fruit is used for the preparation of processed products like jams, jellies and nectar, cakes etc. Fruits can be preserved by canning as halves or quarters, with or without seed core (shells). Good quality salad can be prepared from the shell of ripe fruits.

February 26 2024

AMLA

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CLIMATE: Grows well in tropical conditions. Young plants require protection from hot winds of summer, but mature plants can tolerate temperature up to 46°C. Annual rainfall of 630-800 mm gives a good yield.
SOIL: Well drained fertile loamy soil is best; however, Amla can be grown in light as well as heavy soils except purely sandy soil. The plant has capacity for adaptation to dry regions like Delhi NCR.

PROPAGATION AND PLANTATION: Amla is generally propagated through seeds, but seed propagated trees bear inferior quality fruits and have a long gestation period. For effective result, shield budding is done on one year old seedlings with buds collected from superior strains yielding big size fruits. The older trees of inferior types can be rejuvenated and easily changed into superior type in this way.

During May-June, before planting the grafted seedlings, pits at a distance of 4.5 m spacing with a size of 1m3 need to be prepared and should be left for 15-20 days exposed to sunlight. The pits should be filled with surface soil mixed with 15 kg farmyard manure and one kg of super phosphate before planting the seedlings in per hectare.

PLANT PROTECTION: Medicinal plants should be grown without chemical fertilizers and use of pesticides. Organic manures like, farmyard manure, vermicompost, green manure, etc. may be used as per requirement of the species. To prevent diseases, bio-pesticides could be prepared (either single or mixture) from neem (kernel, seeds & leaves), chitrakmool, dhatura, etc.

IRRIGATION: Young plants require watering during summer months at 15 days interval till they have fully established. For mature fruit bearing plants, it is advised to water at bi-weekly intervals during summer to increase fruit set and to reduce fruit drop. In summer the plant responds very well to drip irrigation, as the water directly placed at root zone. Hence, also minimize evaporation.

Amla plants hardly require irrigation during monsoon. After the monsoon rains, during October-December about 25-30 liters of water per day per tree through drips should be given to mature plants.

HARVESTING: Amla seedlings start bearing fruits 7-8 years after planting, while the grafted seedlings start bearing fruits from the 5th year onwards. The fruits are light green at first, but when they mature become dull greenish yellow. Best harvesting time for fruits is February when the fruits have maximum Vitamin C content. The mature fruits do not fall for gentle touch and therefore vigorous shaking is required. Fruits can also be harvested using long bamboo poles attached to hooks.

USES

Amla has great importance in traditional medicine, not only as an antiscorbutic, but also for the treatment of diverse ailments, especially those associated with the digestive organs. It is a good source of Vitamin C, alleviates common cold symptoms, improves digestion and overall immunity. It also improves skin and eyesight, reduces fat, relieves pain, use in hair care therapies etc.

Apart from medicinal uses, amla fruits can be eaten raw, can be cooked as pickle or lentil dishes. Sometimes the unripe seeds are used for preparation of black salt. The bark, as well as the roots, leaves and immature fruits, are highly valued as a source of tannins. The branches are often used as green manure. The leaves are used as dyeing substance.