MSc

The present study titled 'Collection, description and performance
evaluation of herbaceous medicinal leguminous plants of Kerala' was carried out
at the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Vellayani from June
1995 to January 1996. Seeds of sixteen different species of herbaceous leguminous
medicinal plants could be collected from authentic sources. Twelve different species
with high rate of germination were raised and maintained till flowering and pod set
in the medicinal plant garden of the Department of Horticulture. Detailed
computerised descriptive blank supplemented with line drawings and authentic
herbarium were prepared for each species. Cultural trial of eleven selected species
of herbaceous leguminous medicinal plants, conducted as pure crop in open condition
and as intercrop under shade in a twenty five year old coconut garden, indicated
that under open condition the growth and yield are significantly superior in Abrus
precatorius, Clitoria ternatea and Atylosia scarabaeoides than under shaded
condition. Similarly, in Crotalaria verrucosa and Desmodium triangulare where
leaves are the medicinally important plant part, the number of branches and number
of leaves were significantly higher under open condition than under shade. The
biomass yield of Crotalaria verrucosa was significantly superior under open
condition than under shade. This revealed the limited chance of raising these five
plant species as intercrops in coconut garden.

Growth and yield were significantly superior under shaded condition or
were comparable under both conditions in Mucuna prurita, Indigo/era tinctoria,
Cassia mimosoides and Pseudarthria viscida. In Desmodium gangeticum, where
root is the medicinally important plant pari, no significant difference was noticed
in the root characteristics, namely, root length, tap root girth and number of lateral
roots under open and shaded conditions.
The content of active chemical ingredient in the medicinally important
plant parts of the different plant species studied, showed no significant difference
under open and shaded conditions. The presence of biochemical substances in these
medicinal plants did not affect the association of rhizobia and mycorrhizae. Such
positive association in native soil without artificial inoculation opens the scope for
utilizing the micro symbiont technology for exploiting the full potential of growth
and yield of medicinal plants.
The study, thus indicated the feasibility of growing herbaceous,
leguminous medicinal plant species as intercrops in coconut garden, with the dual
benefit of contributing a part of the requirement of raw materials in the indigenous
pharnaceutical industry and at the same time enriching soil fertility by way of nitrogen
fixation.