Effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and farmyard manure on yield and alkaloid concentration in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don

Abstract

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) is an important medicinal plant grown in different parts of India. Its leaves contain vincristine and vinblastin, alkaloids which are used in the treatment of various leukaemias and limphomas, and its roots contain ajmalcine, another alkaloid, used in the manufacture of antihypertensive drugs. Cultivation of periwinkle has recently gained importance in India. The yield of periwinkle can be increased with the use of mineral fertilizers (Pareek et al. 1981, 1982; Rajasekharan et al. 1982; Reghunath & Sethumadhavan, 1982a, b; Hegde, 1986). The effect of fertilizer application on the alkaloid concentration is not clearly established though there are a few reports which suggest that application of N increases alkaloid concentration in roots (Rajasekharan et al. 1982; Reghunath & Sethumadhavan, 1982a) and leaves (Pareek et al. 1982). Therefore, the present experiment was designed to study the effect of application of nitrogen and phosphatic fertilizers and farmyard manure on the root and leaf yields, and total alkaloid concentrations in roots and leaves in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don.

Agronomic research on medicinal and aromatic plants in India Status and future research needs

“…The various recommendations for Dioscorea are : 100 kg N/ha in Bangalore (Hegde, 1983), 150 -67 kg N -K/ha in Jorhat (Singh et al, 1981b), 200 -22 kg N -P/ha in Lucknow (Singh et al, 1981a), 350 kg N/ha in 2 splits in lime treated soils of Darjeeling (Saha and Chatterji, 1991). In periwinkle, 50 kg N/ha was recommended (Prakasa Rao et al, 1988a). Combination of organics and inorganics were found beneficial in Centella asiatica (Puttanna et al, 2006), ashwagandha (Puttanna et al, 2005a) and Bacopa monnieri (Prakasa Rao et al, 2005a).…”