Medicinal solanum (Solanum khasianum Clarke.)
Solanaceae
Varieties
RRL-20-2, RRL-SL-6, Glaxo, Arka Sanjivini and Arka Mahima are suitable for cultivation.
Soil and climate
Well drained loamy soils are suitable. It grows well under moderate climatic conditions. Being a hardy plant, even land with medium fertility can give a good stand.
Seeds and planting
It can be propagated through seedlings.
Seed rate
The optimum seed rate is 450 g/ha. The crop requires a resting period of one month and sowing should not be delayed further. Seedlings are raised in nursery and transplanted at six leaf stage at a spacing of 50 x 50 cm during June - July. Drench the seedlings with Copper oxy chloride 2.5 gm/lit of water to prevent damping off disease in nursery.
Irrigation
Irrigation should be given once in a week in the first month and later reduced to once in a fortnight.
Manuring
Apply FYM 10 t/ha and N, P and K at 25, 40 and 80 kg/ha respectively as basal dose. 25 kg of N at second month after planting is required as top dressing.
After cultivation
First weeding is done after 3 – 4 weeks and second weeding at 2 – 3 months.
Plant protection
Root rot
Ensure proper drainage. Drenching of COC (2 g/lit) 2 times at fortnight intervals will control the rot infection.
Harvest
After transplanting, the crop takes six months for harvest. The berries after harvest are dried to attain 10% moisture condition.
Ripened berries
Yield
Fresh berries : 10,000 kg/ha
Dry berries : 2000 – 2500 kg/ha
Solasodine content : 2.0 to 2.5 % |