Good Agricultural Practices for Ashwagandha

Good Agricultural Practices

for

Ashwagandha

Compiled by
R.S. Jat
R. Nagaraja Reddy
Ruchi Bansal
P. Manivel

ICAR DIRECTORATE OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS RESEARCH

BORIAVI, ANAND 387 310, GUJARAT

DMAPR, Boriavi

Good Agricultural Practices for Ashwagandha

Published by : Dr. Jitendra Kumar,

Director, ICAR Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Research, Boriavi, Anand - 387 310, Gujarat, India
Phone

: +91-0269-2271602

Fax

: +91-0269-2271601

E-mail :
[email protected]
Web address : www.dmapr.org.in

Printed

: March, 2015

Front Cover :

Ashwagandha plant

Ashwagandha roots

Printed at : Anand Press, Anand 388 001, Gujarat

E-mail : [email protected]
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Good Agricultural Practices for Ashwagandha

Content

FOREWORD...................................................................................................v
Ashwagandha
Name of the plant..........................................................................01
Plant parts used for medicinal purpose.......................................01
Uses................................................................................................01
Characteristics of the plant........................................................... 02
Major production areas................................................................. 02
Cultivation methods.......................................................................02
Post harvest processing................................................................. 06
Documentation of activities...........................................................07
Yield and economics......................................................................07
Crop calendar................................................................................ 08

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Good Agricultural Practices for Ashwagandha

OREWORD

Medicinal plants are wonder gift of nature which are used as

medicine, cosmetics, hygiene and food supplements in improving
the quality of human life. Most of the worlds supply of medicinal
herbs is from the wild collection (90%) and it resulted into dwindling
natural resources, reduced biodiversity and irregular supply. Hence,
the cultivation of medicinal plants will ensure the regular supply of
quality raw drugs. This calls for availability of suitable cultivation
practices. Further, as per the WHO guidelines, compliance of good
agricultural practices (GAP) for cultivation of medicinal crops is
necessary to produce good quality raw drugs.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an annual to perennial,
branched wonder herb with multiple medicinal properties. It is widely
grown in drys parts of subtropical regions of India. All plant parts of
ashwagandha have medicinal properties and are used in preparation
of various drugs, however, roots are mainly used for preparation of
vital tonics. It is Aphrodisiac, tonic, rasayan drug, general tonic in
arthritis and debility from old age. It is used in anxiety, depression,
phobias, alcoholic paranoia, schizophrenia etc. This crop has already
brought under cultivation and being cultivated by the farmers.
At this juncture, I am happy that ICAR- DMAPR, Anand has
taken an initiative in compiling and publishing this extension bulletin
that would serve as useful guide to the ashwagandha cultivators for
the production of better yield and quality raw material.

(Jitendra Kumar)

Anand
Date: 24-11-2014
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Good Agricultural Practices for Ashwagandha

Good Agricultural Practices for

Ashwagandha

1. Name of the plant

1.1 Scientific name: Withania somnifera Dunal.

1.2 Local name: Asgandh, Nagouri asgandh, Punir

2. Plant parts used for medicinal purpose

Ashwagandha roots, leaves and seeds have medicinal properties and

are used in preparation of various drugs.

3. Uses

Ashwagandha is considered as wonder herb with multiple medicinal

properties. Ashwagandha roots are mainly used for preparation of
vital tonics. It is a stress reliever and is used in treating senile
dysfunctions. It is used in controlling anxiety, depression, phobias,
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alcoholic paranoia, schizophrenia etc. The active ingredient that

attributed to the medicinal property is the alkaloids and steroidal
lactones.

4. Characteristics of the plant

Ashwagandha is an annual to perennial,

branched, undershrub to herb of about 30
cm to 120 cm height, minutely stellate and
tomentose branches. Roots are fleshy, tapering,
whitish brown. Leaves are ovate and flowers
are greenish. The mature fruits are orange-red
berries.

5. Major production areas

Ashwagandha is widely grown in drys parts of subtropical regions.

Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and
Madhya Pradesh are major ashwagandha growing states in India.

6. Cultivation methods
6.1 Climate

Being hardy and drought tolerant crop, ashwagandha requires

relatively dry season throughout its growing period. It is grown as
late rainy season (kharif) crop between 600-1200 m altitudes. The
semi-tropical areas receiving 60-75 cm rainfall are suitable for its
cultivation. Temperature between 20C to 35C is most suitable
for its cultivation. Late winter rains are conducive for the proper
development of the plant roots.

6.2 Soil

Soil for ashwagandha cultivation should not have any inherent

pesticides contamination or danger of potential contamination
such as from industries, busy roads or pesticides being sprayed
in neighbouring. Soil should be tested for physical, chemical and
biological parameters and pesticides residue from the nearby soil
testing laboratory. The soil should be loose, deep and well drained.
Ashwagandha grows well in sandy loam or light red soils having pH
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7.5-8.0. Black or heavy soils having good drainage are also suitable
for ashwagandha cultivation.
6.3 Land preparation

In Ashwagandha, roots are the major economic part. Thus, land should
be prepared in such a way that it should not have any hindrance in
the development of roots and get more length and girth for better
quality. The land was ploughed once with mould board plough and
harrowed twice to bring the soil to fine tilth after receiving premonsoon rain. Nourish the soil with plenty of organic matter at the
time of land preparation. The manures or composts should be well
decomposed and not made from city waste or human excreta. About
10-20 tonne of farm yard manure per hectare should be mixed into
the soil at the time of last ploughing. The field is then levelled by
planking.

6.4 Sowing time

Sowing should be done at right time to harvest maximum yield of

good quality produce. It may be noted that since ashwagandha is a
late kharif season crop, the time of sowing is decided by date of
arrival of monsoon in that area. Early sowing may cause seedling
mortality due to heavy rains. The optimum time for sowing is 2nd to
3rd week of August.

6.5 Method of sowing

Broadcasting with higher seed rates at 20-35 kg per hectare is

the most common method for sowing of ashwagandha in rain fed
areas. However, line sowing and raised bed sowing are also gaining
importance in the recent time and have been reported to yield
higher quantity of roots and also helps in performing intercultural
practices properly. In some areas transplanting is also in practice.
The seedling of 25-35 days old can be transplanted in the main field
at the recommended spacing. The seeds are sown in lines at 1-3 cm
deep in soil. Apply a light shower after sowing of seeds to ensure
good germination.

6.6 Propagation material

Ashwagandha seeds do not have dormancy hence, commonly

propagated by seeds. For sowing of ashwagandha, use the seeds that
were harvested during the previous season and of good quality and
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free of pests. Seeds should be procured from a reliable source with

seed labels with detail information about the seed.
6.7 Recommended varieties

The recommended high yielding varieties and their source of

availability are:
Variety

Seed yield

Source of availability

Jawahar Asgand-20

Dry root yield 5-6 q

per hectare

Jawahar Asgand-134

Dry root yield 6-8 q

per hectare

Raj Vijay
Ashwagandha-100

Dry root yield 6-7 q

per hectare

MAP unit, College of

Horticulture, RVSKVV,
Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh
MAP unit, College of
Horticulture, RVSKVV,
Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh
MAP unit, College of
Horticulture, RVSKVV,
Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh

6.8 Seed rate

A seed rate of 10-12 kg is sufficient for the sowing of one hectare

crop. Sowing should be done at right spacing at 30 cm or 15 cm
row to row and 10 cm plant to plant spacing in line sowing method.
However, about 500-750 g seeds are sufficient for raising seedlings
for one hectare crop.

6.9 Crop nutrition

Optimum crop nutrition should be ensured as excess or deficit of any

essential plant nutrient may decline the production as well as quality of
the produce. Soil testing should be done before
applying the nutrients. Use of organic manures
preferred over inorganic sources of nutrients
for growing of ashwagandha. Organic manures
like, farm yard manure, vermicompost, green
manure etc. may be used as per requirement
ofthe crop. A fertilizer dose of 15 kg nitrogen
and 25 kg phosphorus along with 10-15 tonne organic manures per
hectare should be applied to harvest good yield.
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6.10 Irrigation

Ashwagandha is usually grown as rain fed crop where irrigation

facilities are not available. However, for irrigated crop there should be
access to a clean and reliable source of good quality irrigation water.
Excessive rainfall or water is harmful for this crop and not require
irrigation if monsoon is well distributed throughout the growing
season. However, one or two life saving irrigations can be given if
required. Under irrigated conditions, the crop can be irrigated once
in 15 days depending on soil type. Organic mulches such as wheat
straw or ashwagandha straw of previous crop should be spread in
between the rows to conserve the soil moisture, facilitate better water
infiltration during excess rains and control weed.

6.11 Intercultural operations and weeding

The seeds sown by broadcasting or in the line in furrows should be

thinned out by hands at 25-30 days after sowing to maintain a plant
population of about 3 to 6 lakh plants per hectare. Weeds should
be managed before they start competing with the crop for nutrients
and light. One hand weeding at an early stage is sufficient to enable
the ashwagandha plants to take over the growth of weeds. At later
growth stages the weeds are get suppressed by its smothering effect.
Care should be taken during hand weeding that the roots should not
be damaged by hoe. Use of chemical herbicides is restricted for weed
control in medicinal crops hence, alternative methods of weed control
such as use of organic mulches to control weeds should be preferred
as they inhibit the weed growth as well as conserve the soil moisture.

6.12 Insect pest and disease management

Areas which have low incidence of insect pests and diseases should
be preferred for the cultivation of ashwagandha. Use of proper
cultural methods (companion crops, trap crops, crop rotation,
adjusting sowing time and spacing, balanced plant nutrition and
timely irrigation), biological methods (parasites, predators and biopesticides) and mechanical methods (light-traps) are preferred for
management of insect pests and diseases in medicinal crops. However,
use of chemical pesticides are also recommended only if there are no
other options, and only if there is sufficient time between application
and harvest so that the chemical cannot be detected in the medicinal
plant material. Ashwagandha is damaged by insects like aphid and
hadda beetle which can be controlled by 2 to 3 spray of Daimethoate
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or spray of Azadirachtin at 1% and Flavanoids at 6%. Diseases like,

seedling rot and alternaria leaf blight are observed in some places.
Seedling mortality becomes severe under high temperature and humid
conditions. Disease can be minimized by use of disease free seeds
and by giving seed treatment before showing with Carbofuran at the
rate of 2-2.5 kg per hectare. Alternaria leaf blight can successfully
be controlled with the spray of Mancozed (12.3%). Bio-pesticides
should be prepared from neem, chitrakmool, dhatura and cow urine
and sprayed when required. Neem cake can also be applied in soil
to control the diseases.
6.13 Harvesting

All the tools, containers and sacks to be used in harvesting should

be washed and cleaned. Harvesting should be done at the right
stage to ensure maximum levels of active ingredients and better
quality. Ashwagandha plants start flowering and bearing fruits from
December onwards. The crop is ready for harvest in January-March
at 150 to 180 days after sowing. The maturity of crop is judged
when leaves start drying and berries become yellow red. Root size,
root and shoot biomass and alkaloid content were found maximum
in 180 days crop which should be considered as best harvesting
time for ashwagandha. Ashwagandha should be harvested in the dry
weather and not in rain or in early morning when there is dew on
the ground. Harvesting is done by uprooting the whole plant without
damaging the roots. There should be sufficient moisture in the soil
at the time of harvesting for easy uprooting the plants. Weed plants
or any inert material should not be harvested with the crop plants.

7. Post harvest processing

Post harvest processing is usually the most critical stage in

determining the end quality of the product. The harvested produce
should be prevented from any contamination, degradation and/ or
damage at any stage of processing. Transport
the harvested plant material to the processing
site in a clean vehicle and protect from heat
and rain during transportation. The processing
site should be clean and protected from direct
sunlight and rain and have access to water. Use
a clean surface, preferably a cemented floor or
Seeds
a tarpaulin sheet which is in good condition
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for laying out the harvested material. Remove weeds and other
extraneous physical matter and substandard material. Then roots are
separated from aerial parts by cutting the stem 1-2 cm above the
crown roots. The roots are beaten with a club to remove adhering
soil and breaks off the thin, brittle lateral rootlets. Then the roots
are washed and sun or shed dried up to 10-12 % moisture content.
The roots are either cut transversely into small pieces of 7-10 cm or
dried as it is in the sun. Then the roots graded as per demand in the
market. Leaves and berries of ashwagandha are hand plucked and
crushed separately to take out the seeds. Pack the produce into a
clean and dry sack, ensuring it is clearly labeled. Store the produce
in a clean and dry room. Raise the sacks off the ground, away from
the wall and not with fertilizers or pesticides. Use of rat poison and
fumigation should be avoided in the storage rooms.

8. Documentation of activities

The documentation of all the activities starting from cultivation to

post harvest processing should be in continuation and maintained
properly. Records should be kept for each activity of cultivation
such as sowing, weeding, irrigation, harvesting, and of post-harvest
processing after harvest to sorting, drying, grading, packing and
storage, with details of time and type of activity that refers to a
complete history and ensure traceability of the final product.

9. Yield and economics

On an average from one hectare crop under commercial cultivation

approximately 6-8 quintals of dried roots and 50-75 kg seeds can
be obtained. Cultivation of one hectare ashwagandha crop may
cost `10,000/- and gives return of `30,000 per hectare. However, it
depends on the demand and supply at a given time in the market.

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10. Crop calendar

Major activity
Land preparation

Month

Activity details

Spraying

Field should be prepared to

achieve fine tilth and apply
10-20 tonne of farm yard
manure perhectare
2ndto 3rdweek of August. 10-12 kg seeds per hectare
sown at 30/15 cm row to
row and 10 cm plant to plant
spacing
November-December
Apply 1-2 life saving
irrigations, if required
November-December
Thinning should be done
to maintain desired plant
population. Two hand
weeding first at 25-30 days
and second after 60-70 days
after sowing
Whenever required
Neem based bio-pesticides

Harvesting

January-February

Post harvest
operations

March

Grading

March

Documentation

Through out
the season

Sowing

Irrigation
Intercultural
operations and
weeding

June-July

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When leaves start drying and

berries become yellow red.
Harvest by uprooting the
whole plant
Harvested plants are sun
dried for 3-4 days and
separated roots, leaves and
seeds
Separate the substandard
material from the good
quality roots
All the activities from
sowing to harvesting and
post harvest processing
should be documented

Good Agricultural Practices for Ashwagandha

Note

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Note

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