| Family |
Asclepiadaceae |
| English Name |
Dudhibel |
| Malayalam Name |
Atakodiyan : Adapathiyan |
| Tamil Name |
Palaikkirai |
| Kannada Name |
Arane Beelu, Jeevahaale |
| Telugu Name |
Dudipalatige, Paalagurgi |
| Hindi Name |
Charivel, Chhirvel, Ranimaoi |
| Sanskrit Name |
Jivanti, Ark pushpi |
| Trade Name |
Dudhibel |
| Part Used |
Whole plant |
| In Wild |
NA |
| Under Cultivation |
NA |
| Temperature |
NA |
| Rainfall |
NA |
| Farmers |
NA |
| Traders |
NA |
| Institution |
NA |
| Individually |
NA |
| State/Region |
NA |
| District |
NA |
| Nursery Information |
NA |
| Yield |
The yield of dry roots varies in the range 10 to 15 tonnes per hectare. |
| Economic of cultivation |
NA |
| Quantitative quality standards |
1. Foreign matter (other plant parts, soil,
stone, sand, dust, organisms and their
parts) : Nil
2. Ash: 16.61%
3. Acid-insoluble ash: 2.80%
4. Methanol-soluble extractive: 28%
5. Water-soluble extractive: 5.90% |
| Description |
Stem twinning, roots fleshy. Leaves simple, opposite, 8-12 × 5-8 cm, oblong or ovate, apex acute to cuspidate, base widely and deeply cordate. Flowers few to many in axillary peduncled cymes. Corolla 2.5 cm across, campanulate, pale purple. Fruit a pair of broadly lanceolate thick follicles; seeds ovoid, flattened with a tuft of white silky hairs at apex. |
| Agro technology/Cultivation practices |
The plant prefers tropical humid climate and partial shade. Sandy-loam soil is best for cultivation.
Cultivation
1. Planting stock production
2. Seed propagation: Fruits mature in 102-158 days. Fruits turn ripe during
November to December. Seeds are ovate oblong, tapering about 6 mm in
diameter. The seeds are sown on sand beds in February and lightly
irrigated. About 1.5 kg seeds are required to raise a plantation in one
hectare. Prior to sowing, the seeds are soaked in water for four to five
hours. Partial shade is provided to the seed beds. Seeds sprout in about
10 days. About one month-old seedlings are transplanted in polybags of
size 14 cm × 10 cm filled with soil, sand and well decomposed farmyard
manure. Polybags shall be kept in shade and irrigated regularly. Poly-
potted seedlings are ready for out planting in May–June.
High yielding variety: Jeeva (developed by Kerala Agricultural
University, Thrissur).
3. Field planting: Planting of 30-45 days old seedlings in the field may be
done during May-June at the onset of monsoon. A spacing of 60 × 60 cm is
maintained at planting. This accommodates a crop stand of approximately
28,000 plants per hectare. The plant can be grown as a pure crop as well
as an intercrop. Since it is a twiner, needs trellises or support of
trees or shrubs. The light requirements of the intercrop must then be
taken into consideration before deciding the intercrop species. When
intercropped with another species, crop stand would be approximately
14,000 per hectare.
4. Manuring/Fertilization: Farmyard manure or compost is applied based on
soil/plant. Plants need stakes as support during July August.
First weeding is carried out during July-August. Two manual weeding at
two and four months after planting are necessary.
5. Irrigation: It is grown as a rain-fed crop during the monsoon period.
Irrigate on alternate days after the cessation of monsoon.
6. Pest and diseases: Aphids are observed during the rainy season.
|
| Harversting |
Roots are used as raw drug, it takes one to two years for its good development. The crop yield is maximum (400-450 kg/hectare of fresh roots) after one year of planting. However, the crop quality reaches the peak at 18 months, while the yield of fresh roots reduce to about 250 kg/hectare. Thus, keeping in mind quality considerations, it is advisable to harvest the crop 1.5-2 years of after planting. Harvesting is done by digging out the roots. |
| Processing |
The roots are then cleaned well and cut into pieces of 10 cm length, dried in shade, and stored in gunny bags. The dried roots are to be sold within six months, after which the active constituents start degrading. |
| References |
NA |
