Varieties and Genuses

• Jawahar – 20 and Jawahar Asgand-134
  Developed by the regional agricultural research station of the Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur under the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants project, Plant height is short and is known for its higher density planting. The crop yields in 180 days with minimum of 30 % alkaloids in dry roots.
• Raj Vijay Ashwagandha-100
  Developed by the regional agricultural research station of the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Gwalior, has the highest dry root yield among roughly 6-7 q/ hectare.

Plant Description

• Leaf
  It grows radially from a central stem and has dull green leaves that grow upto 4-5 inches long. The leaves are thin and full.
• Flower
  The flowers are greenish to yellow and bell shaped. They are bisexual in nature and bloom between July and September.
• Fruit
  Ashwaganda plant yields a small, ripe orange-red fruit that has a papery texture to begin with and a glossy texture eventually. Ripe fruits from this plant are ready for harvesting in December. Hence the name Winter Cherry.
• Seeds
  Seeds of an Ashwagandha plant are yellow in colour.
• Height on Maturit
  This plant grows upto 14 – 30 inches tall on maturity.
• Growth Span
  It takes 150-180 days for one crop of Ashwagandha from sowing to harvesting.

Habitat

Ashwagandha is native to states in North-west and North India like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. It also grows in abundance in the Southern state of Kerala. Apart from India, it is found in Nepal, China and Yemen.

• ClimateAshwagandha typically grows in dry – subtropical climate. Places that receive moderate rainfall of about 660-750 mm rainfall can sustain growth of the Ashwagandha plant.
• Soil
  Requires loose sandy or red soils good drainage and high levels of organic matter with a pH balance of 7.5-8. Soil with good water retention is not suitable.

Usefulness of the plant

Ashwagandha berries are a vegetarian alternative to rennet that enables the process of making cheese.

Ashwagandha roots have varied uses in traditional Indian and Unani medicine. Ashwagandha has been treated as a prized tonic in India for about 4000 years. The plants contain withanine and somniferine, which are alkaloids used to alleviate symptoms or eliminate arthritis, constipation, insomnia, skin conditions, stress, gastrointestinal issues, diabetes, nervous breakdowns, snake bites and slow down memory loss. All parts of the Ashwagandha plant can be used to achieve different ends in various forms.

In a recent study study done by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in collborateion with National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST, Japan), International Laboratory for Advanced Biomedicine (DAILAB) it has been found that Withaferin-A inhibits the the growth and spread of Cancer cells.

Cultivation

• Sowing Season
  It needs to be planted post monsoon and grows well in dry climate. Soak the seeds in 2% Panchagavya solution (20 ml of Panchagavya in 980 ml of water) or simply cow’s urine solution (1 part cow’s urine + 5 parts of water) for 30 minutes before sowing prevents seed borne diseases and promotes healthy germination.
• Land Preparation
  Land must be prepared in summer around April – May and tilled about 2-3 times to improve soil quality. The plant grows well in beds that are spaced at between 30-40 cms.
• Nursery Management
  About 5 kg seeds, treated for nursery diseases, are required to cover an area of 1 hectare. The seeds take about a week to start germinating. Seedlings aged 25-30 days, can be transferred to an open field.
• Disease Management
  This plant is disease infested quickly. Deterioration of active biological elements through leaf spotting diseases called Alternaria Alternata. A disease called Choanephora cucurbitarum causes the stem and leaves to rot. The carmine red spider mite eats into the entire plant.
• Manuring
  This plant doesn’t require manure or fertilizers and grows quite well with the use of faryard manures, composts, and vermi-compost. Using natural manures increases the soil textures and assures a high quality organic ashwagandha, which has high demand.
• Irrigation
  Irrigation is not very necessary if rainfall is adequate. Irrigation is required once at 30 days and once at 60 days from germination.
• Weed Management
  Weeding out unwanted growth with hands at a 30 day interval helps combat weed growth effectively.
• Harvesting Seaso
  The harvesting season lasts for a quarter between January and March.
• Harvesting Methods
  Once the berries turn red and the leaves dry out, the plant is harvested. It takes about 150-170 days from germination. The entire plant is uprooted and cut into smaller pieces for separate uses and the seeds are separated from the berries by thrashing.
• Post-harvest Methods
  
  • Cleaning
    Uprooted plants are beaten with clubs to get rid of mud that’s stuck on roots and stems.
  • Drying
    Cleaned roots are laid out to dry, in whole or in parts, to be processed for further use.
  • Grading
    Based on the size and whiteness of every piece of the plant, it is graded and sorted into four groups.
  • Packaging
    Ashwagandha needs to be preserved dry to ensure it isn’t spoilt by moisture in airtight multi-layered bags.
  • Storage
    Godowns are a good place to store Ashwagandha. They spoil quickly in cold storages.
• Yield per Hectare
  300 to 500 kg dried roots per hectare and 50 to 75 kg seeds per hectare.

Commercial Products

Ashwagandha products in the form of powders, tablets and extracts are freely available throughout the country.