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G. Gurumurthy

Coimbatore, Feb. 4 Farmers whose irrigation wells having high salinity levels need not lose heart as some of the medicinal plant species irrigated with waters with different salinity levels show good growth prospects.

At least 20 medicinal plants that were screened at different salinity levels of irrigation at on-farm trials conducted here recently under the aegis of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University’s (TNAU) Department of Social Science and Agricultural Chemistry showed promise.

The on-farm trials used the medicinal plant varieties, Adathoda, Aloe Vera, Nilavembu, Senna, Nithyakalyani, Coleus, Datura, Eclipta (Karisalanganni), Kanvazhikilangu (Gloriosa), Gymnema (Sakkaraikolli), Thumbai, Thulasi, Kilanelli, Isubgol, Sarpagandha, Manathakkali, Thuthuvalai, Stevia and Aswagantha and the applied irrigation water was characterised with six salinity levels, marked as normal to 10 EC (electrical conductivity).

In a field visit organised by the TNAU’s soil science officials in which farmers women self-help groups and farm scientists took part recently, it was revealed that except the plant stevia, all other medicinal plant species grown by a farmer in Idigarai, Arukutty, showed good growth in irrigation water (well water) having its salinity level between 2EC and 4 EC.

In the case of Mohangopal, a farmer also in Idigarai whose well water carrying salinity at 6EC level, Adathoda, Aloe Vera, Senna, Datura, Kanvazhikilangu (Gloriosa), Thulasi, Manathakali and Ththuvalai grew well. According to TNAU scientists, there is good potential to grow medicinal plants as commercial crop, with the market for herbal plants opening up.

More Stories on : Cultivation | Alternative Medicines | Tamil Nadu

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Saline water not harmful to medicinal plants: Study

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