Economics of Yield and Production of Alkaloid of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal

Atul Kumar Shrivastava, Pankaj K. Sahu

Directorate of Research Services, Jawarharlal Nehru Krishi Viswavidylaya, Jabalpur, India.
Dr. C.V. Raman University, Bilaspur, India..

DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2013.410253                

Abstract

The yield parameters and cost economics of Withania somnifera were studied using Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) treatments. Withania somnifera is cultivated in around 10,780 ha with a production of 8429 tones in India. The annual demand of this herb increased from 7028 tones (2001-2002) to 9127 tones (2004-2005). The field experiment was conducted at the research farm of Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Jabalpur during Kharif season of 2008-2009 (1^st year) and 2009-2010 (2^nd year), whereas the laboratory work was carried out in Quality Laboratory, College of Agriculture, Jabalpur. The soil of experimental field was sandy loam in texture with pH 7.5, EC 0.18 dsm^-1 having good drainage. Soil analysis revealed that available nitrogen was low (202.0 kg·ha^-1) whereas available phosphorus (16.25 kg·ha^-1) and potassium (236.0 kg·ha^-1) were in the medium range. The present paper shows how to determine the economics of varying INM treatments. Cultivation of W. somnifera in India is gaining popularity among farmers; however, due to poor soil fertility, and costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides its production is not economical or profitable.

Keywords

Withania somnifera; INM; Yield; Alkaloid; Economics

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Annual Report, “Cultivation of Some Commercially Important Medicinal Plants. National Medicinal Plant Board, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” Government of India, New Delhi, 2003.
[2]	E. Schonbeck-Temesy, “Flora Iranica,” In K. H. Rechinger, Ed., Akademische Druck-u.Verlagsanstalt, Graz, Austria, 1972, pp. 29-26.
[3]	F. N. Hepper, “In Solanaceae III: Taxonomy, Chemistry, Evolution,” In: J. G. Hawkes, R. N. Lester, M. Nee and E. Estrada, Eds., Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1991, pp. 211-227.
[4]	P. K. Warrier, V. P. K. Nambiar and C. Ramankutty, “Indian Medicinal Plants: A Compendium of 500 Species,” Orient Longman, Hyderabad, 5, 1996, p. 409.
[5]	A. T. Hunziker, “Genera Solanacearum: The Genera of the Solanaceae Illustrated, Arranged According to a New System,” Gantner Verlag, Ruggell, Liechtenstein, 2001.
[6]	R. Asthana and M. K. Raina, “Pharmacology of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal—A Review,” Indian Drugs, Vol. 26, No. 5, 1989, pp. 199-205.
[7]	K. Javanshir, “Vegetation of Bashagerd,” University of Tehran Publication, Tehran, 2000, pp. 156-162.
[8]	R. Sharma, “Agro-Techniques of Medicinal Plants,” Daya Publishing House, New Delhi, pp. 31-33.
[9]	J. Panwar and J. C. Tarafdar, “Distribution of Three Endangered Medicinal Plant Species and Their Colonization with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi,” Journal of Arid Environments, Vol. 65, No. 3, 2006, pp. 337-335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.07.008
[10]	P. Nasir, G. Gonzalez and M. Diaz, “Freshwater Larval Trematodes. XXX. Life Cycle of Petasiger novemdecim Lutz, 1928,” Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington, Vol. 39, 1972, pp. 162-168.
[11]	S. M. H. Jafri, “The Flora of Karachi,” The Book Corporation, Pakistan, 1966.
[12]	A. K. Tripathi, Y. N. Shukla and S. Kumar, “Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): A Status Report,” Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1996, pp. 46-52.
[13]	A. K. Pandey and A. K. Patra, “Influence of Propagation Method on Root Quality and Productivity of Ashwagandha (W. somnifera Dunal),” Proceedings of National Research Seminar on Herbal Conservation, Cultivation, Marketing and Utilisation with Special Emphasis on Chhattisgarh, The Herbal State, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, 2001, p. 57.
[14]	R. K. Sarkar, S. Karmakar and A. Chakraborty, “Response of Summer Green Gram (Phaseolus radiatus) to Nitrogen, Phosphorus Application and Bacterial Inoculation,” Indian Journal of Agronomy, Vol. 38, No. 4, 1997, pp. 578-581.
[15]	M. P. Patil, N. C. Hulmani, S. T. Athani and M. G. Patil, “Response of New Tomato Genotype Megha to Integrated Nutrient Management,” Advanced Agricultural Research of India, Vol. 9, 1998, pp. 39-42.
[16]	Annual Report, “Twenty Five Years of Research Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 1975-2000 AICRP on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants JNKVV,” College of Agriculture, Indore (M.P.), 2000, pp. 19-20.
[17]	A. K. Barik, A. Das, A. K. Giri and G. N. Chottopadhyay, “Effect of Integrated Plant Nutrient Management on Growth, Yield and Production of Wet Season Rice,” Indian Journal Agricultural Sciences, Vol. 76, No. 11, 2006, pp. 657-660.
[18]	R. R. Singh and B. Rai, “Effect of Chemical Fertilizers, Organic Manures and Soil Amendments on Production and Economics of Rice-Wheat Cropping System,” Research on Crops, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2007, pp. 530-532.
[19]	K. Barik, A. Raj and R. K. Saha, “Yield Performance, Economics and Soil Fertility through Organic Sources (Vermi-Compost) of Nitrogen as Substitute to Chemical Fertilizers in Wet Season Rice,” Crop Research, Vol. 36, No. 1-3, 2008, pp. 4-7.
[20]	S. K. Maheshwari, R. K. Sharma and S. K. Gandrade, “Response of Ashwagandha (W. somnifera (L.) Dunal) to Organic Manure and Fertilizer in a Shallow Black Soil under Rain Fed Condition,” Indian Journal of Agronomy, Vol. 45, No. 1, 2000, pp. 70-72.