1. I want to cultivate senna at Tuticorin. Is there any released variety in senna?
There are two varieties in senna namely KKM Se 1 and ALF-T2. KKM Se 1 is suitable for cultivation in TamilNadu condition.
2. How much seed of senna is required for a hectare of land?
About 15 -20k g of seed is required for cultivating a hectare of senna.
3. What is the optimum season for cultivating senna?
Senna can be cultivated in February – March and June – July.
4. What is the manural requirement of senna and is there any need for inorganic fertilizers?
The crop requires 10-15 t/ha of FYM and NPK at 25, 25 and 40 kg/ha respectively. 25 kg of N is applied in two splits at 40 and 80 days after sowing. Senna proves better performance with the combined application of organic and inorganic manures.
5. In my senna field in some plants, a tiny insect is found sticking to the leaves? How to control these insects?
They are the aphids occasionally infesting the crop. This pest can be controlled by spraying dimethoate 30 EC or methyl demeton 25 EC at 1 ml/lit of water.
6. What is the correct stage of harvesting senna?
The first harvest of leaves and pods are done 2 months after sowing and subsequent harvests at 30 days interval.
7. I am having only rainfed land. Can I grow senna in my land?
Yes, the crop readily performs well under rainfed conditions also. Under such condition, 1 t/ha of dried leaves and 75-100 kg/ha of dried pods can be obtained.
8. At which season pyrethrum can be cultivated?
It can be cultivated during April –May and October – November.
9. Which part of pyrethrum plant is used for medicinal purpose?
Flowers are the economic part in pyrethrum.
10. Is it possible to grow digitalis in plains?
No, it comes up well only in hill slopes with slightly acidic soil having cool and mild climate.
11. What is the economic part in digitalis?
Dried leaves.
12. Mention the propagation method of periwinkle.
Periwinkle can be propagated through seeds either by direct sowing or through transplanting.
13. What is the seed rate of periwinkle required for cultivation a hectare of land?
Under direct sowing method the seed rate required is 2.5 kg/ha and through nursery technique only 0.5 kg/ha is required.
14. I have six months old periwinkle crop. Can I harvest the crop by uprooting?
Once over harvest is not advisable in periwinkle. The crop becomes ready for harvest of roots after one year only. Before that, two leaf strippings can be taken, the first one after 6 months and the second after 9 months of sowing. Aerial parts are cut and the soil is ploughed for harvest of roots. Fruits are collected without damage.
15. How much yield can we expect from a hectare of periwinkle?
Irrigated Rainfed
Roots 1500 kg/ha 750 kg/ha
Stems 1500 kg/ha 1000 kg/ha
Leaves 3000 kg/ha 2000 kg/ha
16. How to propagate dioscorea?
It can be propagated through single node leaf cuttings or tuber pieces
17. Is there any special structure required for growing dioscorea?
The vines need support for optimum growth and for that a pandal may be provided. Bamboo poles or gunny twines may be used to lead the vines to the pandal.
18. How can we control aphid and red spider mite infestation in dioscorea?
Spraying the crop with 25 ml Dicofol in 10 lit of water to control aphids and red spider mites.
19. When will the dioscorea vines become ready for harvest and how much yield can we obtain from a hectare?
The harvest of tubers is made at two years of age and the yield ranges between 50 to 60 t/ha.
20. Two months before I had sown medicinal solanum seeds. But the seeds didn’t germinate until now. What is the reason?
There are two reasons for the failure of germination. You might have sown the seeds immediately after their harvest or the seeds which are stored more than one month. These both factors might be the reason. Actually the seeds require a resting period of one month and the sowing should not be delayed further.
21. In medicinal solanum nursery, seedlings are found dried in patches. How to overcome this?
It is due to the occurrence of damping off disease which occurs during nursery stage. This may be controlled by drenching the seedlings with copper oxy chloride @ 2.5 g/l of water.
22. What is the yield of berries in medicinal solanum?
700-800 kg/ha of fresh berries.
23. How can we propagate Aloe vera?
Aloe vera is propagated through suckers. The suckers are dipped in 0.1% carbendazim for five minutes and planted in the field. For one hectare of land 10,000 suckers are required.
24. How to overcome nematode problem in Coleus forskohlii?
i. Crop rotation with sorghum and maize can be adopted
ii. Planting of marigold along the sides of channels controls nematode population
iii. Apply 200 kg/ha of neem cake before planting
iv. Apply 15-20 kg/ha of carbofuran.
25. How to control root rot and wilt problem in coleus?
Apply Trichoderma viridii @ 5kg/ha and mixed with well rottened FYM and applied twice at 20 days interval to control rootrot.
To control wilt, drench 300 ppm of streptocycline. Also apply Pseudomonas fluorescence mixed in 5kg/ha of well rotten FYM.
26. Explain the postharvest handling in coleus.
Harvested tubers are cut into small pieces and dried under shade until it reaches 8% moisture level.
27. What type of supporting materials can we employ for gloriosa vines?
The supporting plants like Commiphora beryii, Dodonea viscose can be used. The permanent structures with G.I wires can also be formed for growing the vines.
28. Is there any special practice followed to increase the seed yield in gloriosa?
Hand pollination must be done between 8 -11 am for getting higher yield in gloriosa.
29. What are the varieties available in tippili for commercial cultivation?
Vellanikara -1 (Visvum Tippili) and Yercaud (Pl) - 9
AROMATIC CROPS
30. Does the lemon grass needs any inorganic manure application?
In addition to 20 – 25 t/ha of FYM or compost as basal , apply 50 kg N/ha annually, half at planting and half one month after planting. From the second year onwards, first dose of fertilizer should be applied after cutting and again one month after the first dose.
31. I have 2 month old lemon grass plants. When can I start harvesting?
The lemon grass leaves can be harvested at 90 days after planting and thereafter 75 – 90 days interval. Cut the bush by leaving 10 – 15 cm above the ground level.
32. How drying of citronella leaves can be controlled?
It is due to the leaf blight incidence. It may be controlled by spraying any one of the Dithiocarbamates namely Mancozeb or Zineb at an interval of 15 -20 days.
33. What are the activities that should be carried out after the planting of geranium?
Weeding, uprooting and burning the diseased plants throughout the life cycle of the plant. From the second year onwards give a deep soil forking around the plants to improve the growth of more suckers. Pruning of the bushes is necessary when the bush shows signs of decline. The branches are cut back leaving 15 -20 cm once in 4 -5 years.
34. Can use the whole plant of geranium for oil extraction?
No, the tender tip portion with 6 to 12 nodes can be used economically.
35. Which material is used for propagation in palmarosa?
Seeds and slips are used for propagating palmarosa. But the establishment of slips will be poor as compared to seedlings.
36. I am having half an acre of coconut plantation. Can I grow patchouli as intercrop in this field?
Yes, patchouli can be cultivated as intercrop. It thrives best in hot and humid conditions under shade of rubber, coconut, coffee etc.
37. How many years will the mint crop yield economically?
Under good management conditions, the crop will give economic yield for about four years.
