KALMEGH (ANDROGRAPHIS PENICULATA)

Medicinal Crop Kalmegh- Little investment and great returns!

            Kalmegh is the plant of Vegetable Category. The anatomy of this plant is as same as the plant of Chilly, which has height about 1 to 3 Fits. Its botanic name is Andrographis Peniculata. It is also known as  Kalmegh in Hindi and Kariyatu in Gujrati. Its plant has Andrographis and Kalmeghin chemicals.

        The plant of Kalemgh widely uses in the treatment of Liver abnormal, diseases related to the stipulation of Blood, Malaria fever and skin diseases etc. Its whole plant has medicinal uses. In homeopathy it uses as “Kalmegh Drop”. The birthplace of this plant is India.

        Kalmegh is the anti-insect crop of the rainy Season. Its crop doesn’t affects from any kind of insects. Farmers have to spend lots of money on pesticides, when they cultivate other traditional crops but they have nothing to spend on the crop of Kalmegh. Therefore from the cultivation of Kalmegh, farmer earns a lot of money than the other crops. Usually the output is about 40 Quintal Kalmegh dry plants from one hectare, which can be sold easily at Rs. 1000/- to Rs. 1500/- per Quintal. In this way farmer spends Rs. 15,000/- on the cultivation and earns Rs. 40,000/- very easily. That means he gets a pure profit of Rs. 25,000/- to Rs. 30,000/- per hectare.

Method of Cultivation: - 1) The period of this crop is 4 to 5 months. 2) The sandy soil, which has sufficient percentage of microorganisms and has well ability to not accumulate the water, is better for its cultivation.        3) The 3 to 4 times ploughing of the land is sufficient before the sowing. 4) Mix the natural Cow dung in field and make the lines. 5) As it is the crop of rainy season therefore irrigate the crop, only when is required.

Preparation of plants in nursery: -In rainy season (around 15 June) for 1 acre, sow the 1 kg. Seeds in the one-meter wide lines by broad casting system and cover the seeds by thin layer of soil. Then irrigate the seeds.

        When plants become 1 month old (in July) then sow them in their permanent lines in field at the distance of 30 X 30 Cm (Line X Plant). It will be better if the sowing done during the dropping rain or irrigate the land with little volume of water after the sowing. There will be required 44,840 plants per acre (1,12,000 plants in one hectare).

        In rainy season there will grow many useless plants with the crop. Thus remove of the useless plants after the 30 and 60 days of sowing. It will increase the produce of Kalmegh Crop. Use 30 kg. Phosphorus, 30 kg. Potash and 60 kg. Nitrogen per hectare as fertilizer.

        Irrigate the crop essentially in the month of September if there is no any rain. By this the plants will increase properly.

Cutting and Drying: - When the Kalmegh Plants is Green and has flowers then pull them out from the land with their roots. Remove the soil from roots and dry it on the dry and shaded place with little sunlight. Turn the plants after one week with awareness that leaves should not be off from the plant. When the plants are well dried put them in Jute bags and store. 

 

Kalmegh Seeds are available at Rs.                           Per kg.