Ashwagandha: Advances in plant biotechnological approaches for propagation and production of bioactive compounds.

Evaluation of Kunapa jala and Pancha gavya on plant quality, physiology, biochemistry, yield and growth attributes - A case study of Withania somnifera Dun.

A field experiment to study the effect of time of harvest on root yield and quality of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Dunal) was conducted at Nagarjun Medicinal Plants Garden, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (Maharashtra) during 2003-04. The treatments were comprised of five harvesting time viz., T 1 -At flowering initiation, T 2 50% flowering, T 3 -100 % flowering, T 4 -Berry ripening and T 5 -At maturity tried in Randomized Block Design with four replications. Significantly highest root yield was recorded with the harvesting at 100% flowering stage over all the treatments except berry ripening stage. The crude fibre content was also found to increase with the harvesting time and the highest fibre content was recorded at maturity stage. The total alkaloids content was significantly highest at 50% flowering stage followed by 100% flowering stage. The graded root yield was also influenced by harvesting time and significantly highest root yield of A grade was obtained at 100% flowering stage.

Manisha Patil

Papers

Harvesting period management for production of quality roots of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Dunal).