1. KAUTIR (Kerala Agricultural University Theses Information and Retrieval)

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://localhost:4000/handle/123456789/1

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Indigofera tinctoria

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Medicinal plants as intercrops in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2021) Dayana Samson; Sindhu, P V
    Kerala is considered a treasure house of medicinal and aromatic plants, however, due to indiscriminate harvesting; the existence of most of these plants is under threat. Cultivation is the only option to ensure the continual supply of high quality raw materials without diminishing natural resources. Due to small holding size and a greater focus on cash crops, the scope for commercial production of medicinal plants as a pure crop in Kerala is restricted. So, the practical alternative is to bring them under intercropping with priority crops such as food and commercial crops. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is the most important starchy root crop grown in the tropics. The wide spacing, together with slow initial growth and development, makes cassava compatible to intercropping with short duration annual crops. The present study entitled “Medicinal plants as intercrops in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)” was carried out at the Agronomy farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellanikara from September 2020 to April 2021 to assess the feasibility of intercropping cassava with the medicinal plants Indigofera tinctoria, Plectranthus vettiveroides and Sida alnifolia. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 10 treatments replicated thrice. The treatments included sole crops of cassava and medicinal plants, cassava + single row of medicinal plants, and cassava + double rows of medicinal plants. The observations on growth, yield and yield attributes of main and intercrops, and quality parameters of medicinal plants were recorded. Competitive indices and economics of cultivation were also computed. Intercropping significantly influenced the growth and yield attributes of both main and intercrops. With respect to plant height of cassava, significant variation was observed only at later stages of crop growth. Shorter cassava plants were observed when intercropped with Sida alnifolia (162.84 cm). In general, medicinal plants grown under intercropping system recorded taller plants, except for Indigofera, where sole cropping resulted in taller plants.The sole crop of cassava produced higher per plant tuber yield of 3.24 kg (32417 kg/ha) and was at par with cassava with single row of Plectranthus (3.12 kg/plant). The lowest tuber yield was recorded when cassava was intercropped with double row of Sida (1.77 kg/plant). Similar trend was observed in itop yield and dry matter production per plant. The yield of medicinal plants was the highest in sole crops, followed by single row intercropping and double row intercropping. Same trend was observed for quality parameters of medicinal plants. The quality of Indigofera tinctoria, expressed by indican content, was higher in sole crop (1.40 per cent) and was on par with single row inter crop (1.39 per cent). Sole crop of Plectranthus vettiveroides registered the highest essential oil content of 0.60 per cent, followed by cassava + single row of Plectranthus (0.40 per cent). Sole crop of Sida alnifolia produced highest total alkaloid (3.07 per cent) and was at par with single row intercrop (2.94 per cent). Cassavas intercropped with double rows of medicinal plants were more efficient in controlling weeds than sole crop of cassava or cassava + single row of medicinal plants. Sole crop of cassava recorded the highest total weed density and dry matter production at 30 DAP, 60 DAP and 90 DAP. Sida alnifolia controlled the weeds more effectively than other medicinal plants, both as sole crop or as intercrop with cassava. Competition indices like land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (K or RCC), competitive ratio (CR), cassava equivalent yield (CEY) and aggressivity were assessed for evaluating intercropping efficiency. All intercropping systems recorded LER of values greater than one, indicating the yield advantage over sole cropping. The highest LER (1.41) was recorded when cassava was intercropped with double row double row of Plectranthus vettiveroides and LER was lower when Sida alnifolia was intercropped either as single row or as double rows (1.01 and 1.05 respectively). Higher RCC and CR values and positive aggressivity values for cassava indicated dominance of cassava over medicinal plants. K (RCC) of all treatments was greater than one, indicating yield advantage of the system. The highest CEY was recorded for cassava + Indigofera as double row, with cassava equivalent yield of 43895 kg/ha, and the lowest CEY was for sole crop of Sida alnifolia (3000 kg/ha). Among the medicinal plants evaluated, Indigofera tinctoria, either as double row or as single row, could be recommended as the best medicinal intercrop for cassava. Intercropping cassava with single row Plectranthus vettiveroides was the next best alternative.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Optimizing propagation techniques in neelayamari (Indigofera tinctoria L.)
    (Department of Plantation Crops and Spices, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2019) Mekha Mariam, Abraham; Krishnakumary, K
    India is acknowledged as one of the world’s richest treasure trove of medicinal plants. Neelayamari (Indigofera tinctoria L.) commonly known as ‘Indian indigo’, is a commercially grown leguminous plant of medicinal importance. The extract of the leaves is reported to have remarkable effect on hair growth and in preventing juvenile greying of hair. Due to the presence of many worthy phytochemicals, the crop is being documented in ‘Ashtangahridaya’ and is being cultivated by several pharmaceutical entrepreneurs, both in public and private sector. Like most of the medicinal plants, the cheapest method of propagation of this crop is through seeds. However, poor germination and vigour of seeds is a major problem in Neelayamari. In addition, heavy loss in seed yield occurs due to the splitting of pods at maturity. The study ‘Optimizing propagation techniques in Neelayamari (Indigofera tinctoria L.)’ was conducted in the Department of Plantation crops and Spices, with the objectives of standardizing the physiological maturity stage in Indigofera tinctoria L. for seed harvest, presowing seed treatments to enhance seed quality and longevity and vegetative propagation technique in Indigofera tinctoria L. through stem cuttings. In order to assess the stage of attainment of physiological maturity for seed harvest in Neelayamari, flowers were tagged on the day of anthesis and the pods were harvested at five days interval from 30 days of anthesis up to the pod splitting stage (63 days after anthesis). It was observed that the values of pod, seed and seedling characters increased up to 45 days after anthesis to reach their highest and thereafter declined till the pod splitting stage (63 days after anthesis). Germination and vigour indices at 45 days after anthesis were 73.80 per cent, 485 and 294 respectively and those at the pod splitting stage were found to be 31.33 per cent, 132 and 65 respectively. Hence, it was inferred that the seeds of Neelayamari reached physiological maturity stage by 45 days after anthesis. The seeds harvested at physiological maturity were dried to 8 per cent moisture content and subjected to various seed treatments before being packed in 700 gauge polyethylene bags. Untreated seeds served as the control. The seeds were stored under ambient conditions upto six months. The scarification treatments included treatment with Conc. H2SO4 for 5, 10 and 15 minutes, mechanical scarification with sand, hot water treatment at 80oC for 20 minutes and 60oC for 30 minutes and hydration for 24 hours. The quality parameters of the stored seeds were recorded at monthly intervals during the storage period and were put for germination test in sterilized sand media. Results pointed out that most of the seed treatments were effective in enhancing germination. High initial germination was recorded in mechanically scarified (95.83 %) and hydrated seeds (93.27%), while the untreated seeds showed a germination of 74.33 per cent. Vigour index I (703 and 698 respectively) and II (430 and 428 respectively) were also the highest in these treatments. Seed treatment with sulphuric acid, however, proved to be detrimental. Seed treatment also helped in extending the viability of the seeds. Mechanically scarified and hydrated seeds retained their germination above 60 per cent for six months during storage (65.67% and 63.67% respectively), while, in untreated seeds, germination reached 61.33 per cent at four months of storage and declined to 44.34 per cent by six months of storage. Seeds treated with sulphuric acid never attained the germination of sixty per cent throughout the storage period and those treated with sulphuric acid for 15 minutes failed to germinate at sixth month of storage. EC was found to be the lowest in hydrated seeds (0.0011 dSm-1) and mechanically scarified seeds (0.0012 dSm-1). The results thus indicated that mechanical scarification of seeds or hydropriming for 24 h can not only improve seed germination and seed quality but also prolong the longevity of the seeds. It was also noticed that all the seed quality parameters declined along the storage period. Attempt to assess the possibility of vegetative propagation in Neelayamari was carried out using hardwood, semi-hardwood and softwood cuttings, exposed to varying doses of IBA (250 ppm, 500 ppm, 750 ppm, 1000 ppm, 1500 ppm, 2000 ppm and 2500 ppm) and charcoal slurry dip. The cuttings were planted in polythene bags and were maintained in a mist chamber. Initially, the experiment was conducted during summer season and only the softwood cuttings treated with 2000 (8.89%) and 1500 ppm IBA (5.53%) survived after 60 days of planting, while all others withered and dried off. The experiment was then repeated during rainy season and the best results were obtained in the season. Softwood cuttings treated with 2000 ppm IBA during rainy season exhibited early sprouting (7.18 days) and a field establishment of 70.67 per cent. In comparison, the semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings exhibited very low establishment rates of 21.77 per cent and 17.90 per cent respectively. Hence, it was evident that vegetative propagation using softwood cuttings treated with 2000 ppm IBA during rainy season can be relied upon as an alternative propagation method in Neelayamari.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Influence of storage environment and packing materials on seed germination and viability of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. and Indigofera tinctoria (L.)
    (Academy of Climate Change Education and Research Vellanikkara, 2017) Gayathri, P; Kanakamany, M T
    Desmodium gangeticum and Indigofera tinctoria are valuable medicinal plants frequently used in the Indian System of Medicine. These crops are propagated through seeds. Seeds of these crops lose viability within 3-4 months after extraction under normal conditions. In order to get optimum plant population, uniform germination has to be assured. For that it is necessary to store the seeds at appropriate environmental conditions. By modifying the storage environment and by using apt packing materials storage life of seeds can be enhanced. The present investigation “Influence of storage environment and packing materials on seed germination and viability of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. and Indigofera tinctoria (L.)” was carried out at the Academy of Climate Change Education and Research, Vellanikkara and All India Coordinated Research Project on Medicinal, Aromatic Plants and Betelvines (AICRP on MAP & B), College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during the year 2016-2017. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with 18 treatments replicated twice. Observations on micrometeorological and seed quality parameters (1000 seed weight, seed moisture content, germination percentage, seedling root length, seedling shoot length, seedling fresh weight and seedling dry weight) were recorded at weekly intervals. All the seed quality parameters were significantly influenced by the individual treatments of moisture levels, packing materials and storage environments and by the combined interaction of these three factors except seedling fresh weight, seedling dry weight and 1000 seed weight at some weeks after storage. Seeds of 8% moisture content recorded higher germination percentage for both crops, higher seedling root length and shoot length for Indigofera tinctoria. Among the packing materials, polythene bag stored seeds of Desmodium gangeticum showed higher 1000 seed weight, germination and seedling shoot length at the same time cloth bag stored Indigofera tinctoria seeds recorded higher 1000 seed weight, germination and seedling root length. Seeds stored under refrigerated condition showed higher 1000 seed weight, germination percentage, seedling root length and seedling shoot length for both crops. Significant positive and negative relationships were observed due to the influence of weather parameters (maximum temperature, minimum temperature and relative humidity) on seed quality. Maximum temperature and relative humidity showed a positive relationship with majority of the seed quality parameters except seedling fresh weight of Indigofera tinctoria and seed moisture content of Desmodium gangeticum. Most of the seed quality parameters (1000 seed weight, seed moisture content, germination percentage, seedling shoot length and seedling fresh weight) were negatively influenced by minimum temperature. Results of the investigation implies that, to enhance the germination of seeds over a period of 12 weeks of storage it is better to dry the seeds to 8% moisture content and pack in polythene bags for Desmodium gangeticum seeds , cloth bags for Indigofera tinctoria seeds and store under refrigerated environment.