Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha - Withania somnifera Solanaceae

Economic part – Root

Major constituents - Total alkaloid (0.13-0.31%) - Withanine, Somniferine

 

Varieties

Poshita and Rakshita are high yielding varieties released by CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow. Jawahar 20 is cultivated in Madhya Pradesh. WSR is another variety released by CSIR-Regional Research Laboratory, Jammu. Nagori is a local variety with starchy roots.

 

Total duration of crop – Nine months

Grows well in sandy loam soil, in slightly alkaline soil with pH of 7.5 to 8.0. It grows better in 600-1200 m altitude. Temperature between 20°C to 35°C is most suitable for cultivation. 

About 10 – 12 kg/ha of seed is required for broadcasting. For transplanting, seed rate of 5 kg/ha is required. The seedlings of six weeks old are transplanted at a spacing of 60X 60 cm. 

It is planted late in the rainy season around August-September and harvested in the next May.

Fertilizer

Generally, the crop doesn’t require heavy doses of fertilizer. The crop is cultivated only in organic fertilizer like FYM, Cowdung, Vermicompost.

 

Irrigation

As it is rainfed crop, there is no need of irrigation if rainfall is at regular intervals. Extreme rainfall is harmful for the crop.

Harvesting

Once the plants reach full maturity, they are carefully uprooted to ensure the roots stay in good condition. The harvested roots either whole or cut into pieces are thoroughly cleaned and dried either in natural shade or under sunlight. The drying process in completed when the roots reach a final moisture level of approximately 10-12%.

 

Post-harvest practices 

The dried roots are transversely or entire cut into smaller pieces of 7-10 cm to facilitate drying. The berries are harvested separately, dried and threshed to remove the seeds.

Grading of roots

After drying, the roots are gently tapped to remove attached soil and break away the thin side rootlets. Any remaining side branches, root crown, leftover stem pieces are carefully trimmed with a knife. Root pieces are then sorted according to the length and thickness of roots, out into following grades:

Root pieces up to 7 cm in length, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, solid cylindrical with smooth external surface and pure white from inside.

Root pieces up to 5 cm in length, 1 cm or less in diameter, solid, brittle and white from inside.

Solid root pieces up to 3-4 cm in length, 1 cm or less in diameter.

Small root pieces, semisolid or hollow, very thin, yellowish inside and < 1 cm in diameter.

Yield: The crop produces 400-1200 kg/ha dried roots and 200-500 kg seeds/ha

Natural benefits of Ashwagandha:

• ·         Stress Relief and Relaxation
• ·         Encourages Healthy Muscle Strength and Recovery
• ·         Heart and Metabolic Support
• ·         Hormonal Balance
• ·         Enhances sleep quality

• ·         Supports Immune System Health 

Approximate Economics of Cultivation per hectare:

Ist  Year
Land Preparation	₹ 1500
Sowing	₹ 900
Fertilizers	₹ 500
Irrigation	₹ 600
Thinning and weeding	₹ 600
Crop protection	₹ 400
Root digging and grading	₹ 1000
Total	₹ 55,00

Return/ hectare:

3.5 quintal roots at ₹ 100/quintal = ₹ 30,000

50 kg seeds at ₹ 50kg = 2,500

Total = 32,500

 

Net income = 32,500 - 5500

                = ₹ 27500/- per hectare (approx.)