Solanum americanum Mill.

Family Solanaceae
English Name Black Night Shade
Malayalam Name Manithakkali, Karimthakkali
Tamil Name Manathakkali
Kannada Name Kaakihannu
Telugu Name Kachchipandu
Hindi Name Makoi
Sanskrit Name Kakamaci, Bahuphala, Jaghenephala
Trade Name Black Night Shade
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 12-20 tonnes of fresh herbage per hectare.
Economic of cultivation Market price: Dried herbage - ₹ 170 per kg (as on July 2019).
Quantitative quality standards 1. Foreign material: Not more than 1 per cent 2. Total ash: 11.29 per cent 3. Acid insoluble ash: 6.2 per cent 4. Ethanol soluble extractive: 5.2 per cent 5. Water soluble extractive: 17 per cent
Description Erect annual herbs; stem glabrous or sparsely hispid. Leaves 2-5 x 1-3 cm, ovate or elliptic, base rounded, shortly decurrent on the petiole, subentire, acute to acuminate at apex, membraneous; petiole to 5 cm long. Flowers small, in axillary to extra-axillary umbellate cymes. Corolla white, 3-4 mm across. Berry, 4-5 mm across, globose, purplish-black; seeds c. 1 mm long, discoid, minutely pitted.
Agro technology/Cultivation practices The plant comes up very well in tropical and subtropical climate upto 2000 m altitude. They can be raised on a variety of soils good in organic matter. The plant grows in different kinds of soil including dry, stony, shallow or deep soils. It usually grows in moist habitat in wastelands or as weed. It can be cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical agro-climatic regions. Cultivation 1. Planting - stock production: Propagation is by seeds. Optimum germination temperature for seed is between 25-30°C. May - June is the best time for raising seedlings. The seedlings are first raised in the nursery and transplanted to the main field 30-45 days after sowing when the plants attain 8-10 cm height. During rainy season, planting is done on ridges while during summer in furrows, at a spacing ranging from 30- 90 cm depending upon the stature and spreading habit of the plant. The transplanted seedlings should be given temporary shade for 2-4 days during summer. 2. Manuring: Farmyard manure/compost is applied at the time of land preparation. 3. Weeding: One or two weeding needed to control the weeds. 4. Irrigation: The nursery beds and plantation should be irrigated periodically as and when required weekly or fortnightly. The plants are irrigated till it flowers. Irrigation is needed at 3-4 days interval during summer and on alternate days during fruiting period. 5. Pests and diseases: Shoot borers, mealy bugs, leaf webbers, root knot nematode, wilting, miners and mosaic disease are noted on the crop. Field sanitation, crop rotation and burning of crop residues are recommended.
Harversting Plants need staking to avoid lodging due to heavy bearing. The crop is usually ready for harvesting after 4-6 months depending upon the climate and soil.
Processing The plants are collected and dried in shades.
References NA