Chapter VII

MEDICINAL & AROMATIC PLANTS

Chairperson - Dr.V.M.Pawar,
Vice Chancellor, MKV ,Parbhani
&
Dr.S.N.Puri,
Vice Chancellor, MPKV ,Rahuri

Selection of suitable medicinal and aromatic plants for various

agro-climatic conditions of Maharashtra, in terms of domestic
marketing, exports and processing.

Medicinal and aromatic plants form a numerically large group of economically

important plants which provide basic raw materials for medicines, perfumes, flavours
and cosmetics. These plants and their products not only serve as valuable source of
income for small land holders farmers and entrepreneurs but also earn valuable
foreign exchange by way of export.
India possesses a rich and diverse variety of plant resources to meet the growing
demand for plant-based drugs, perfumery and flavour items. Availability of wide
variation in soil and climate in our country offers great potential for cultivation of
these plants in the country in general and Maharashtra in particular. During the last
decades there has been a renewed
interest in recognising plants as a • Modern system of medicine caters to
source of drugs, perfumes and only about 20% of population
cosmetics which may be due to little or • Traditional system of medicine caters
no side effects associated with their to about 80% of population
application and user friendly and • Ayurveda uses maximum number of
environment friendly products. naturally occurring substances as
It is therefore necessary to collect, source of medicine
conserve and evaluate germplasm and • Unani, Amchi & Siddha systems
to develop agro technologies for utilize 700, 600 & 600 medicinal
medicinal and aromatic plants with plants respectively
potential for farming. The cultivation
aspects of some medicinal and aromatic
plants are given in Table 2 & 3.
Plants have been a major source of therapeutic agents for alleviation or cure of
human diseases since time immemorial. They are extensively utilized throughout
the world in two distinct areas of health management i.e. (i) Modern System of
Medicine system (ii) Traditional Systems of Medicine. At present there are about
130 clinically useful prescription drugs of known chemical structure which are used
in Modern System of Medicine and solely derived from about 100 species of higher
plants. The traditional system of medicine continue to cater in to the medicinal
needs of the about 80% world population. India has a unique position in the world
where a number of Traditional Systems of Medicine are practised such as Ayurveda,
Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy, Yoga and Naturopathy for the total health care. These
systems of medicine are heavily dependent upon the medicinal plants.
A recent study indicates that the herbal drug market continues to grow at the rate of
15% annually. As per the estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO), the
global market of the medicinal herbs and herbal products is about 62 billion US$ and
will hit the market by the year 2005 at the level of 5 trillion US$. India is exporting
herbal materials and medicines to the tune of Rs. 550 crores. China
besides meeting its domestic demands, is earning US$ 5 billion per year from herbal
trade. India and China are two great producers of medicinal plants and has
capabilities to earn by export of herbs and herbal products of Rs. 5000 crores by the
year 2005 with generation of employment to 1 crore people.

In India, earlier, the medicines used in indigenous systems of medicines were

generally prepared by the practicing
physicians by themselves, but now this Major Concern
practice has been largely replaced by the
establishment of organised indigenous Lack of Scientific & appropriate
drugs industry. It is estimated that at agrotechnology for cultivation of
present there are more than 10,800 licensed medicinal plants for different
pharmacies in Indian systems of medicine climatic zones of the country
and nearly 4,60,000 registered practitioners
of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani medicine and Homeopathy. As far as the Ayurvedic
system of medicine is concerned, it does not rule out any substances being used as
potential source of medicine, presently about 1,000 single drugs and 8000
compound formulations of recognised merit are in vogue. Similarly other systems of
medicine prevailing in the country viz., Unani, Amchi and Siddha utilise as many as
700,600, and 600 medicinal plants, respectively.
Several hundred genera are used in herbal remedies and in traditional or folklore
medicines throughout the world. As per one estimate 35-70,000 species have been
used in some culture for medicinal purposes. They are used in the form of crude
drugs which are dried parts of the medicinal plants (root, stem, wood, bark, leaves,
flowers, fruits seeds and in some cases whole plants) or their extracts. There is
much smaller number of plants from which individual active constituents are isolated
and used as medicines, either alone or in combination. The species used for
isolation of active ingredients may be indigenous species growing wild or cultivated,
or hybrids or other cultivated varieties that have been bred for a particular
characteristic.
In our country there are only few herbal drugs which are cultivated on large scale.
The information regarding the area under cultivation of and states where cultivation
is in progress is given in Table 1.
One of the major difficulties of medicinal plants cultivation in large scale is the lack of
scientific and appropriate agrotechnology for different climatic zones of the country.
Although several organisations viz., Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Laboratories, various Indian
Universities, etc. and Research Councils of indigenous systems of medicine,
Department of Indian System of Medicine (ISM), Govt. of India, have taken up the
work of development of appropriate agrotechnologies, and development of high
yielding varieties of medicinal plants, but much efforts are still needed keeping in
view the demands of trade and industry. The details of agrotechnologies and
varieties developed so far by different organisations of India are provided in Table 4.

Export and import of medicinal plants

The world trade in the areas of plant based raw materials for the pharmaceuticals,
drugs, perfumery items, cosmetics is fast and increasing as evidenced by trade
statistics. Although, India exported and
imported large number of medicinal • Global market for herbs & herbal
plants, phytopharmaceuticals and their products – 62 billion US$
derivatives, its share in the world trade • Expected to grow upto 5 trillion US$
has been rather insignificant. The export by the end of 2005 with a growth rate
and import data of selected medicinal of over 15% annually
plants are provided in Table. Psyllium • India can earn Rs. 5000 crores per
husk and seeds tops the export from year by exports of herbs & herbal
India, followed by Ayurvedic and Unani products by 2005 with employment
herbs (NES) and Senna leaves and pods generation for 1 crore people
during the years 1997-99. One of the
reason for large export of Psyllium (isabgol) and Senna is due to the problem of
constipation faced by the Western people for their food and sedentary work habits.
It is interesting to note that a number of items are exported under code number
specified as NES that is “Not essentially specified”. The NES group include
Ayurvedi and Unani herbs, other plants, other vegetable, sap extracts and other
crude vegetable materials. Thus one does not know exactly what is going out of the
country under the NES regulations.
India is importing certain items which are used as spice as well as medicine such as
casia, clove, nutmeg and cardamom. There are certain items such as liquorice, as
foetida, chiirayita and ginseng roots which are not at all produced in insufficient
amount for internal cosumption as well as for re-export Table 5 to 10.
Strategy to improve trade of medicinal plants and their products
Following strategies are suggested to improve national as international trade of
medicinal plants and their various products :
i) R&D on all aspects of medicinal Improving Trade
plants must be intensified.
ii) Materials of proven safety, Intensification of R and D
effectivity and quality need only Export of quality material
be exported. Processing technology for quality
iii) Indian plants must be produce
domesticated and cultivated for Toxicity and efficacy tests
consistent quality of the produce. Cultivation of exotic plants in
iv) Crop-wise post harvest demand
processing technology for Development of phytomedicinal
obtaining high quality produce monographs
must be developed. Devising cropping schedules
v) Toxicity (safety) and efficacy trials integrating medicinal plants
need to be conducted on
ayurvedic, unani and sidha medicines and plants drugs.
vi) Cultivation of exotic plants already in extensive usage in USA and Europe
must be introduced in India.
vii) Phytomedicinal monographs for each of the medicinal plant, including
information on physiological effects, efficacy, quality standard and references
etc., are needed to be developed.
viii) Cultivation of medicinal plants should be integrated with that of food crops by
devising suitable cropping schedules.
Processing
Small processing units are being erected by private agencies and the crude form of
product is being sold to the pharmaaceutical companies. Consusltancy can be had
from various central institutes. It can be good enterprise if it is done systematically
by the grower of medicinal plants. The planning is however needed. Normally it is
observed that the people start growing the MPs without surveying the requirement
and then it ends up in loss. Such situation can be avoided after studying the status
and present requirement at indigenous and global level. Frustrations in this kind of
business can be prevented with systematic approach.
The purchaser can be contacted by approaching the concerned patronage. There
can be little more efforts in the begining but once the contacts are established,
further it becomes the routine for the buyer and the producer. The rates can be
negotiable on the basis of demand and supply. In near future, the raw material
requirement is going to be more. Presently, most of the produce is exported abroad
after processing. The western countries have more requirement since they are now
aware of side effects of allopathy drugs. The indigenous people are also now
interested in herbal medicines and it has now become tedious to meet the
requirement of indigenous as well as foreign people. This situation created the need
for systematic cultivation of herbal medicines. Primarily, forests were the major
sources of raw material but with increased population and demand all over the
world, it can not satisfy the raw material needs.
Several MPs are listed but few of them which have demand can be highly
remunerative to the farmer. Several books on medicinal plants are now available
and some doctors and pharmaceutical companies are in need of growers for
furtherance of industry. Benefit can be had of such situation with proper planning.
The economics of cultivation should not be ignored. It is the cost effectiveness that
can make the enterprenership profitable to the grower.
In future, the herbal medicines shall have remarkable scope and people will prefer
herbal drugs for routine ailments instead of planning for allopathic drugs having side
effects. Every pathy has its own advantage. Promotion of herbal medicines may in
no case be harmful to allopathic drugs. It has its own merit and it is certainly life
saving. The merit of herbal medicine can not be ignored. The farmer should be
more tactful in cultivation of MPs and APs after watching the demand.

Conclusion :
Medicinal plants and their various products can be viewed as an important
commodity items for sustainable economic development of the country. There is
also need of organised marketing and trade of medicinal plants and their various
products. To meet the internal and international demands, it has now become
imperative to produce the quality raw materials in significant quantities. This can
only be achieved to promote the domestication and cultivation of medicinal plants
which have internal demand in large quantity and have export and import potential.
Ayurveda incorporates ancient plant remedy for different kind of ailments and it is
now steered up at global level because of its unique approach without side effects.
Considerable countries are interested in herbal medicines and it is supposed to have
bright future. Few medicinal and aromatic plants can be cultivated under rainfed
conditions on neglected shallow soils. Every field has small piece of land which
remains uncultivated due to poor soil properties and water holding capacity.
Presently, it is either occupied by agroforestry or kept fallow for grasses to the
cattles. Small herb like Citronella, Aloe, Mentha, Senna, Sagargoti, Reetha,
Serpagandha, Isabgol, Guggul, Dikamali, Shatawari, Behaada, Birda, Gokarni,
Bhringraj, Belladona and Lemongrass can be grown under natural conditions with
minimum attention and dry farming can be made remunerative. Two objectives can
be achieved. One of utilization of land for additional gain and another for conserving
the important plant species which are now neglected and under extinction due to
deforestation. Future generation can be benefited by this kind of action. Some
species are at the verge of extinction due to heavy exploitation by pharmaceutical
industries. Deforestation resulted in loosing important treasure of unique medicinal
plants. It needs now to be cultivated for harmless medicines.
...
Table 1: Area under cultivation of major medicinal plants in India

Sr.No. Common name Botanical name Producing states Area (ha)

1. Psyllium Plantago ovata Rajasthan and Gujrat 55,000
2. Opium poppy Papaver Madhya Pradesh, Uttar 20,000
somniferum Pradesh and Rajasthan
3. Senna Cassia senna Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and 20,000
Uttar Pradesh
4. Cinchona Cinchona spp. Darjeeling (West Bengal) and 08,000
Tamil Nadu
5. Ashwagandha Withania somnifera Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan 05,000
and Uttar Pradesh
6. Safed musali Chlorophytum spp. Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat & 05,000
Uttar Pradesh
7. Periwinkle Catharanthus Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka 04,000
roseus and Maharashtra
8. Khai katari Solanum spp. Maharashtra 04,000
9. Sarpaganadha Rauvolfia Madhya Pradesh 02,500
serpentina
10. Ipecae Cephaelis Darjeeling (West Bengal) 00,100
ipecacuanha
Source : Kumar, S. (1997) CIMAP-records
Table 2 : Cultivation of medicinal crops in Maharashtra

Sr Particulars CROPS
No
Ashwaganadha Shatawari Safed musali Jestmadh Guggul
1. Season Kharif Kharif Kharif Kharif Kharif
2. Soil Medium, well Light, Black & well Medium, well Light to medium
drained medium, drained drained
well drained
3. Seed 1 kg seed 1 kg seed 7-8 kg. seed 250-300 kg. wet Stem cuttings, 2-
/seedlings/ Seedling, Seedling, Seedling, roots, cuttings 3 months
ha 60x30 cm. 1.5 x 1 m 30x15 cm. (3-4 buds), planting
60x45 cm. 2x2 m.
4. Fertilizers N:P:K: N:P:K: N:P:K: N:P:K: 40:40:0 N:P:K: 15:15:15
kg/ha 25:30:25 15:15:15 15:15:15 N:30 every year
N:40 after 40
days
5. Harvesting After 6 After 1.5 to After 8-10 After 1.5, up to After 7 years
& yield/ha months 12- 2 years 12- months 15-20 3 years 25-50 500-800 gum/
15 q dry 15 q dry q/ha wet OR 3- q/ha plant
roots/ha OR roots/ha 4 q/ha dry
100 kg. seed roots
6. Use Tonic, Tonic, More Diabetics, Ulcers, Cough, Arthritis, Cough,
Cough, milk, Tonic, Asthma Blood pressure,
Asthma Narayan Tel Ayurvedic (Laxative, Obesity, Heart
Arthritis, preparation expectorant) problems,
Inflammatory Diabetes
7. Price Rs. 50/kg dry Rs. 50/kg Rs. 400-800 Rs. 60/kg dry Rs. 300/ kg gum
roots dry roots /kg dry roots roots

Table 3 : Cultivation of aromatic crops in Maharashtra

Sr Particulars CROPS
No
Java Roshagawat Vala Lemon grass Kustur bhendi
citronella
1. Season Kharif Kharif Kharif Kharif Kharif
2. Soil Medium, Light, Light to Light, well Medium, well
well drained medium, medium or drained drained
well drained medium
drained
3. Seed/ 25000 slips 2.5 kg. seed 8-10 kg. seed 2 kg. seed 70x45 2-3 kg seed
Slips/ha 75 x 45 cm. 75 x 45 or 60 or 75x30 cm.
spacing 60 cm. cm.
4. Fertilizers N:P:K: N:P:K: N:P:K: N:P:K: 30:40:40 N:P:K: 40:40:40
kg/ha 20:60:50 20:40:40 N: 60:30:30 N:40 after 45 N:40 after 40
N:30 after 20 after N:20 after 45 days days
 each cutting each cutting days
5. Harvesting 4-5 months, 4 months 15-18 months 4-5 months, after 3 months
& yield/ha after 3 (when 30-40 q root 3 months, 30-40 t onwards (2
months 15- flowering) 15-20 kg.oil leaves/year 100- months period)
20 t leaves 20-25 t 125 kg.oil/year 8-10 q.seed
150-200 leaves 60- (1-2% oil)
kg.oil 80 kg.oil
6. Use Aromatic oil, Soap, Skin Cool, Cough, Cosmetics, Aromatic, Pan
perfurmery diseases, Attar, High Perfumery, Vit.A, masala,
chemicals, Perfurmery, grade flavour, Tobacco
cosmetics, Cosmetic cosmetics and insecticidal products, cough
food and flavour perfumes
preservation industries
s, Odomass
7. Price Rs. 250- Rs. 400- Rs. 4000- Rs. 300-500/kg Rs. 30-40/kg
350/kg oil 600/kg oil 5000/ kg oil oil seed

Table : 4 Agrotechnologies of medicinal plants developed in India

Sr. No. Name of the plant Varieties

1. Rauvolfia serpentina RS-1
2. Catharanthus roseus Nirmal, Dhawal
3. Cassia senna Sona, ALFT-2
4. Hyoscyamus muticus HMY-1, NP-4
5. Hyoscyamus niger Acla, Ackla
6. Dubosia myoporides
7. Alrop belladonna
8. A. ocuminata
9. Ammi majus
10. Claviceps purpurea Niharika, Gujarat Isabgol-1 (GL1), Gujarat
Isabgol-2(GL-2), Haryana Isabgol-5 (HI-5)
11. Plantago ovata Syama, Sheveta
12. Papaver somniferum Shanchita, Subhra, Sujata Jawahar Aphim-
16 (JA-16), Trishna (Ic-42), Chetak (40-
285), Kirtiman (NOP-4), BNBRI-3
13. Commiphora wightii Marusudha
14. Glyeyrrhiza glabra Mishri, Haryana Mulcthi
15. Withania somnifera Poshita
16. Artemisia annua Asha, Jeevanraksh, Suraksia
17. Bacopa monnieri Subodhak, Pragyashkti
18. Centella asiatica Kayakrit, Majjaposhaka
19. Phyllanthus amarus Navyakrit
20. Dioscroea floribunda FB@-1, Ark Upkar
21. Solanum viarum Glaxo, Arka Sanjeevani
22. Chrysanthenum cinerarifolium Hansa
Source : CIMAP, Records; Sharma RK (1999)
Table 5 : Medicinal plants which have high demand in indigenous drug industry

Sr. No. Species Common Name Plant Part

1. Bacopa monnieri Jal Brahmi Whole plant
2. Centella asiatica Brahmi/Mandukapaini Whole plant
3. Andrographis paniculata Kalmegh Whole plant
4. Saraca asoca Ashok Stem bark
5. Terminalia arjuna Arjun Stem bark
6. Pterocarpus marsupium Vijaysar Heartwood
7. Withania somnifera Aswagandha Root
8. Asparagus racemosus Satawar Tuberous root
9. Chlorophytum arundinaceum Safed musli Tuberous root
10. Desmodium gangeticum Salpanni Root
11. Gymnema sylvestre Gurmar Leaves
12. Piper longum Pippali Fruit root
13. Plumbago zeylanica Chitrak Root
14. Tinospora cordifolia Guduchi Stem

Table 6 : Major Indian medicinal plants entering global commerce

Sr. Plant Name Used as source of Production

No cultivated/wild
1. Acorus calamus Crude drug, essential oil Wild/cultivated
2. Aloe barbadensis Fresh leaf juice, Dried leaf extract of Wild/cultivated
3. Ammi majus Source of xanthotoxins Introduced/
cultivated
4. Ammi vishaga Khelin Introduced/
cultivated
5. Atropa acuminata Crude drug/tropane alkaloid Wild/cultivated
6. Atropa belladonna Atropine and crude drug Introduced/
cultivated
7. Berberis spp. Berberine and crude drug Wild
8. Carica papaya Papain chymopapain Cultivated
9. Cassia acutifolia Crude drug, sennosides Cultivated
10. Catharanthus roseus Vinblastine, vincristine, ajmalicine Cultivated
11. Cephalis ipecacuanha Crude drug Cultivated in a
limited extend
12. Cinchona spp. Quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, Cultivated in
cinchonidine, total alkaloids limited extent
13. Dioscorea deltoidea Disogenin Cultivated/Wild
14. Matricaria chamomilla Crude drug Cultivated in a
limited extent
15. Plantago ovata Seed husk Cultivated
16. Rauvolfia serpentina Rescrpine, rescinnamine, ajmaline, Cultivated/Wild
ajmalicine, serpentine, crude drug
17. Rheum ausstrale Crude drug Wild
18. R. webbianum Crude drug Wild
19. Swertia chirayita Crude drug Wild
20. Taxus baccata Taxol and related analogus Wild
21. Urginia indica Crude drug, Scillarens-A&B Wild
22. Valariana wallichii Crude drug Wild
Source : Farnswowrth NR et al. (1991); Husain A (1993) and Kumar, S. (1997)

Table 7 : Export of major medicinal plants from India

Sr. Medicinal plants Years (Value in lakhs)

No.
1997 1998 1999
1. Cassia 1.6 90.3 250.6
2. Cinnamon bark 57.8 52.4 0.6
3. Clove 5.3 24.1 5.6
4. Nutmeg 2.6 2.8 5.8
5. Cardamoms (Large) 1383.5 1167.9 1548.4
6. Cardamoms (Small) 587.4 442.8 1155.0
7. Aniseed 287.4 82.3 108.3
8. Juniper seed 7.9 1790.4 0.7
9. Turmeric (Fresh) 1509.9 5844.6 3053.1
10. Celery seed 779.5 784.4 939.4
11. Dill seed 168.0 215.6 198.2
12. Cassia powder 98.7 48.6 781.8
13. Liquorice root 8.3 0.2 9.2
14. Belladona roots 2.1 21.3 36.3
15. Agarwood (Chips and dust) 32.5 41.4 30.9
16. Ambrette seed 25.2 31.2 94.9
17. Belladona leaves 1.3 19.7 18.5
18. Chirata 4.7 33.1 0.5
19. Poppy flower 22.4 15.5 19.9
20. Psyllium husk 14250.9 11838.9 11343.8
21. Psyllium seed 1633.7 1898.6 1398.7
22. Senna leaves and pods 1377.3 1380.8 2070.8
23. Basil leaves 0.2 14.8 9.3
24. Neem seed 1.2 2.8 1.4
25. Neem leaves/powder 0.6 32.3 14.3
26. Ayurvedic and Unani herbs 2275.7 1701.1 3975.6
Source : Monthly statistics of the foreign trade of India 1997-99. Vol. 1. Exports and Re-
exports. Directorate General of Commercial intelligence and statistics, Ministry of
Commerce, Government of India, Calcutta.
Table 8 : Medicinal plants used in ISM that are exported from India(NES)

Sr. No. Species Common name Plant part exported

1. Acorus calamus Vacha Rhizome
2. Adhatoda vasica Vasa Leaves
3. Berberis aristata Daruhaldi Roots
4. Colchicum luteum Colchiicum Rhizome
5. Hedychium spicatum Kapur kachri Rhizome
6. Heracleum candicans Kaindal Rhizome
7. Aconitum spsecies Vatsanabh Root
8. Inula racemosa Puskarmool Root
9. Juglans regia Akhrot Bark
10. Juniperus species Aarar Fruits
11. Picrorrhiza kurroa Kutaki Rhizome
12. Punica granatum Anar Flower, Root bark
13. Cassia angustifolia Senna Leaf, Pod
14. Plantago ovata Isabgol Seeds
15. Podophyllum hexandrum Bankakri Rhizome
16. Rauvolfiaa serpentina Sarpgandha Root
17. Rheum emodi Revandehini Rhizome
18. Saussurea lappa Kuth Rhizome
19. Swertia chiraayita Chirata Whole plant
20. Valeriana wallichii Tagar Roots
21. Zingiber officinalis Adarak Rhizome

Table 9 : Import of major medicinal plants from India

Sr. Medicinal plants Years (Value in lakhs)

No.
1997 1998 1999
1. Cassia 1017.1 15.4 3459.3
2. Clove 1694.3 271.1 7596.3
3. Nutmeg (in shell) 156.3 74.9 453.2
4. Nutmeg (not in shell) 193.0 148.8 621.2
5. Cardamoms (large) 872.3 1452.0 1537.2
6. Cardamoms (small) 22.3 141.7 690.8
7. Aniseed 419.8 264.1 96.2
8. Juniper seed 0.8 15.0 17.7
9. Thymes 2.0 - 0.2
10. Liquorice root 167.1 70.7 157.3
11. Belladona roots - 5.1 -
12. AGarwood (Chips and dust) 25.1 50.7 68.5
13. Chirata 12.3 22.8 11.8
14. Ginseng roots 92.2 119.9 194.9
15. Light black pepper 647.3 3081.6 1927.4
16. Black pepper 768.1 275.2 2178.0
17. Assfoetida 882.0 1345.1 -
18. Rudraksha seed 35.9 38.1 39.8
19. Castor oil 787.7 0.3 9.4
Source : Monthly statistics of the foreign trade of India 1997-98. Volume II. Imports.
Directorate General of Commercial intelligence and statistics, Ministry of Commerce
of India, Calcutta.

Table 10 : Medicinal plants that are imported in India (Under NES)

Sr. No. Name of species Common name

1. Anacyclus pyrethrum Akarkara
2. Borago officinalis Gauzoban
3. Centurea behan Bahman safed
4. Cydonia oblonga Bihidana
5. Glyeyrrhiza glabra Mulethi
6. Cuscuta epithymum Aftimum vilayati
7. Lavendula stoechas Ustukhudus
8. Operculina turpethum Turpeth
9. Pimpinella anisum Anise
10. Paeonia officinalis Udsaleeb
11. Smilex chinensis Chobehini
12. Thymus vulgaris Hasa
13. Volutarella divaricata Badawar
14. Panax ginseng Ginseng

Recommendations

To improve national and international trade of medicinal and aromatic plants R and D units
must be intensified, materials of proven quality and safety be exported, Indian plants be
domesticated and put to continuous test for quality assurance, crop-wise post harvest
technology be developed, biosafety trials be conducted, phytomedicinal monographs be
developed and suitable cropping schedules be devised for integration of these plants with
food crops (Action : ICAR/CSR/DSM/CIMAP).
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICINAL AND
AROMATIC PLANTS
Medicinal and aromatic plants form a numerically large group of economically
important plants, which provide basic raw materials for medicines, perfumes,
flavours and cosmetics. These plants and their products not only serve as valuable
source of income for small land holders and entrepreneurs but also earn valuable
foreign exchange by way of export.

Scope for Medicinal Plants in Maharashtra

Maharashtra has different agro-ecological zones suitable for growing different

medicinal plants, which are in demand. However, systematic efforts will need to
push this particular sector agro-ecological zone wise. The plant species will have to
be identified and their package of practices will be developed. Identification of
species will be important criteria for marketing. Therefore, planting material / seed of
known identified varieties from standard source will be important.

1) Planting Material of Known Varieties

Since availability of quality planting material will be essential items of future

development programme the farms of the State Agricultural Universities and
Department of Agriculture and nurseries of Department of Horticulture should
undertake the programme of collection and conservation of different species of
medicinal plants prevalent in the region and their multiplication on a large scale. The
help of KVKs and some of the NGOs will also be important in this endeavour.

2) Cropping System

Many of the medicinal trees will need gestation period of 8-10 years for economic
production. The farmers will need the cropping system, which will be suitable for
giving him economic return from first year onwards. Therefore, inter cropping with
species of shrubs and trees will be very much essential.

3) Post Harvest Technology

The post harvest technology for medicinal and aromatic plants is necessary since
the plants after harvesting in green stage, if stored unprocessed for want of
purchaser may get contaminated with fungi which may impair the quality of the final
product. Therefore, post harvest technology for plants their grading and packaging
and method of storage should be developed.

4) Marketing of Product

It is experienced that the fanners get convinced about the potential of profit from
growing medicinal plants. However, once they enter into business they get frustrated
because of disorganized market. Therefore, concentrated efforts will be needed to
organize marketing of the product produced by the farmers. A cluster of villages for
specified area under cultivation of some species will have to be identified so that the
produce from all the farmers of such cluster will be collected at central place. People
interested in purchasing can be invited which will help in marketing the product
efficiently.

5) Primary Processing

Many items as raw material of aromatic and medicinal plants being very bulky, the
storage of such material becomes a problem more so in the case of aromatic plants.
Therefore, small processing units to serve the need of the cluster of villages will be a
good idea. Small cost effective extraction unit should be developed and Government
will have to support self interest group of farmers for its establishment. Primary
processing from the bulk material at village level will reduce the problem of storage
and risk involved in the same. This will help the farmers to get more price for their
produce.

6) Conservation of Extinct Species

Many species which are grown in various forests / regions have medicinal value.
Because of the constant harvesting required of these plants many of them have
become rare. Therefore, concerted efforts will be needed for their conservation and
multiplication. The help from NGOs and schools for massive campaign to make the
people to grow some of the medicinal plants in their court yard of residential
premises or on the farm bunds will be a good project for conservation of extinct
species.

For protection of different endangered medicinal plant species encouragement

should be given to Government and semi-Government tissue culture laboratories for
multiplication of endangered species so that the planting material can be supplied on
large scale.

7) Quality Control

Four SAUs, Ayurved Rasshala and ATMA should be given permission to establish
quality control laboratories so as to fix the quality parameters for various plant
species and their varieties.

There are many schemes of the Government of Maharashtra including the

Employment Guarantee scheme in which the provisions have been made for
financial support to the farmers who will opt for cultivation of medicinal plant. These
schemes will need further strengthening.

Executive Summary
In future herbal medicines shall have remarkable scope and people will prefer herbal drugs
for routine ailments in stead of planning for allopathic drugs with side effects. Every pathy
has its own advantages. Promotion of herbal medicines may in no case be harmful to
allopathic drugs. It has its own merit and it is certainly life saving. The merit of herbal
medicine can not be ignored. The farmer should be more tactful in cultivation of medicinal
and aromatic plants after watching demand.

Long term plans

Medicinal plants and their various products can be viewed as important commodity items for
sustainable economic development of the country. There is a need of organised marketing
and trade of medicinal plants and their products. To meet national and international
demands, it is imperative to produce quality raw material in significant quantities.
Aurveda incorporates ancient plant remedy for various ailments without any side-effects. It
has a bright future. Few medicinal and aromatic plants can be cultivated under rainfed
conditions on neglected soils. Putting the neglected patch of land under medicinal plants
like citronella, awla, mentha, reetha, sarpgandha, isabgol, behada, etc. ensures its utilization
for additional gain and thereby helps in conserving important plant species going extinct.