Answers of your queries related to Indian medicinal and aromatic crops. by Pankaj Oudhia
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Answers of your queries related to Indian medicinal and aromatic crops.by
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| Contributor:Dr. Pankaj Oudhia QA and TEM | eResDocs Formal report Free form Table of Contents Display Full eArticle | ID: 1671 |
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| Abstract |
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| The present article is an effort to give replies to some selected queries (received from December 01 to 31, 2006) related to Indian medicinal and aromatic crops time to time. On Internet such replies and information are lacking. Hoping that my replies will be of great use for herb growers around the world. |
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| Replies of selected Queries received from 01 to 03 December, 2006. | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. In India one type of Stevia exists but you have written in articles that Stevia varieties are there? Yes it is true that in India only one type of Stevia is available for farming and the growers are not aware of its origin. It is also true that Stevia varieties are available. From year 1979 to 1996 many varieties have been released from different countries. These varieties not only give higher yields but also rich in Steviosides. There is need to test these varieties in Indian conditions and also to develop Indian varieties for different agro climatic conditions. I am not in favor of using same type of Stevia for commercial cultivation throughout country. Same type shows different performance in different locations and farmers face many problems. Q. Is Safed Musli cultivation still profitable? If you are going for processing than answer is positive and if you are growing it for planting material business than answer is negative. Processed Musli is coning to different markets from different corners of India. There is regular demand. Q. Ambrette crop is ready and searching the buyers. Please guide. Without any delay you are suggested to send the samples at my address. There is regular demand of seeds and I am sure you will get good prices. Q. Is organic farming of Stevia possible? Yes, organic farming of this exotic crop is possible and in fact many farmers are cultivating it organically. Although it is crop from Paraguay but Indian farmers have tried cow dung and urine based formulations by adding different herbs and getting good results in terms of plant protection and good yield. Here is links to some of these results. Sixteen Cow dung, urine and medicinal herbs based promising formulations as solution to many common problems in organic farming. Response of Stevia rebaudiana towards selected Cow dung, urine and medicinal herbs based promising formulations as solution to many common problems in organic farming. Present status, test levels and locations of Sixteen Cow dung, urine and medicinal herbs based promising formulations as solution to many common problems in organic farming. Q. I am planning for Sarpgandha cultivation. From where I can get seeds with high germination? Sarpgandha seeds are available from many sources. Although the suppliers claim for good germination but I suggest the farmers to take 100 seeds and test it for germination at their homes. Old seeds are having poor germination and it is hard to identify old seeds by simple view. That is why germination test is must. Q. I am researcher and want to get information on Indian herbs. Please guide. You can get much information through popular search engines. For scholarly articles scholar.google.com and scirus.com are good engines. Ecoport.org is database having much information on this aspect. You can also join All about Indian herbs in Orkut community for discussion on this aspect. If you are interested in my work you can visit these links. My contributions at Ecoport Research Articles - Indian Herbal Research & Methods By Pankaj Oudhia Q. How weeds can be managed in commercial cultivation of medicinal crops? I have found soil solarization method very effective for weed control in medicinal crops. If you name the specific problematic weeds of your region, I will suggest its different uses. Many of weeds are having potential to give additional income. When you collect such weeds from fields for market, you will automatically get rid from it. Q. Is Hadjod requires much water? No, it is not a water loving plant. Also in nature it grows without much care. Farmers growing it commercially cultivate it successfully with the help of life saving irrigations only. Q. Suggest suitable medicinal crops for Madhya Pradesh. I see Bach, Sarpgandha, Kasturi Bhindi, Kevatch, Asgandh and over 16 such medicinal and aromatic crops suitable for your state but if you send details about soil, climate, your investment capacity, processing interest and business experiences etc. I will suggest specific crops. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 04 December, 2006. | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. May I visit to Chhattisgarh for getting planting material of Gulbakawali? Yes you can visit as many farmers are growing it at commercial scale. If you want to meet me during this visit please inform at least 10 days before visit so that I can suggest suitable dates. Q. Is it possible to get genuine Stevia planting material from Chhattisgarh? Instead of straight recommendation to any medicinal plant nursery, in general, I suggest the farmers to take me with them while purchasing the material so that I can guide in selection of best material. For Stevia give emphasis on quality material raised organically. And most important is price. There are much variations. Hence survey the nurseries before finalizing, especially in bulk purchasing. Q. What is seed rate of Kevatch crop? Recommended seed rate is 50 Kg per hac. But it depends much on ways in which you are planting this plant. Q. Is Glory lily present in forests of India? Yes it is present in wild. Although it is not collected for trade in most of the parts but in Central India recent demand has increased interest in wild collection. In Indian stateChhattisgarh natives and Traditional Healers are using Gloriosa plant parts as medicine since time immemorial. Q. Much influenced by your articles I want to cultivate Nirgundi in Jabalpur. Please send details. Your region is rich in wild population of this herb. This population is enough to fulfill the present demand of this herb. There is no need for its cultivation. If you have any problem in its identification you can meet me during my visit to Jabalpur in coming weeks. Q. Is salt solution is useful for Parthenium population in Ambrette crop? Salt solution method is suitable for Parthenium management in wasteland in small scale. If there is heavy infestation of Parthenium in Ambrette crop then only there is need for its management. In general this crop is least affected by this weed as compared to other crops. Adopt soil solarization method to destroy seed bank of this weed in soil during summer. If you are interested in chemical weed control then contact to weed experts of nearby Agricultural Institutes. Q. I am from Jharkhand and not getting good prices for Bach crop. Please guide. How much price you are getting? Are you selling it in bulk? I suggest you to send samples at my address. I will forward the addresses of its regular and potential buyers. Q. We are eager to know the progress in use of Safed Musli as cattle feed. Thank you for your interest. The experiments are nearly over and researchers are waiting for entrepreneurs interested in launching commercial products based on this herb. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 05 December, 2006. | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. Is commercial cultivation of Keu Kand profitable? Yes, its well-planned cultivation is profitable. Q. Are Indian farmers cultivating Hadjod? Hadjod is under cultivation in many parts of India both as fence and main crop. Hadjod is present in wild also. Few years back there was fake query about bulk purchase. The traders collected it in bulk but failed to market it. Taking lesson now they collect only on the basis of advanced payment. Q. Please give local names of Mucuna in Karnataka state. Mucuna pruriens is known as Naruskunni or Hasagunigida. Q. Nine-month crop of Sarpgandha is ready. Is it time to dig for roots? No wait for at least 18 months in order to get good quality roots having high process. It seems that you have not taken proper guidance before cultivation. Under proper guidance you can not only get basic information but also increase yield of your crop. Q. We want to organize your lecture on herbs in Chennai in January. Please give your consent. Send all details as earliest as possible. In general, I deliver 2-3 hours lecture with LCD presentation both in Hindi and English. Based on requirement, one-day lectures for specific crop are also given. Q. We want to see organic cultivation of Stevia. Please suggest locations. Give details about your location. I am in touch with many farmers engaged in organic farming of Stevia. I will suggest farmers near to your location. Q. Interested in bulk purchase of pickles of Safed Musli as you mentioned in your articles. I am forwarding your message to the Tribal and Musli growers engaged in preparation of this pickle. For your information they are preparing 7 types of pickles. Q. Please help in searching references on Rice-Acorus farming. Here is link Rice-Acorus intercropping: a new system developed by innovative farmers of Chhattisgarh (India). Q. For sweetness quality I want to analyze Stevia leaves before purchasing it for cultivation. Is it OK to test Steviosides? It is wise step. I suggest you to go for analysis of Rebaudioside A also. And after getting report see RA/St ratio. Higher RA content is preferred for good quality Stevia. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 06 December, 2006. | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. What is duration of Ambrette crop? 170-180 days. Q. Which type of Mucuna is more profitable, white or black? Black seeded Mucuna is more profitable. There are some problems in its harvest but through traditional methods it can be solved. If you are planting it in fence than you must go on Black type. Ecoport Articles on Mucuna. Q. Is Aloe processing so expensive? It depends on the processed products. Also on production target. Send more details about your plannings so that I can guide you in more promising ways. Q. How Safed Musli can be differentiated to other wild species? There are many ways but through structure of underground parts in general Chlorophytum borivilianum is differentiated with other wild types. Through comparison of floral parts it can be done more easily. Here is identification key for some species. Q. I want to cultivate Kali Musli. Is it profitable? Our forest are having rich population of this herb and capable of fulfilling the present demand. Hence at present it cultivation is not much profitable. Q. Is Marigold useful as guard crop for all medicinal crops? I have found it very effective in commercial cultivation of Safed Musli, Ambrette, Stevia and Mucuna. Q. How much Acorus rhizomes required for one Hac.? For one Hac. 5 tons rhizomes are required. Q. From where I can get information about Mulethi? HAU, Hisar, Haryana (India) has done much work on this crop. You can write to them. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 07 December, 2006. | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. I want to purchase Safed Musli plants raised through tissue culture method. Is it available in India? Yes tissue cultured Safed Musli plants are available in India. Please send your purchase details.. Q. Please quote the rate of Ambrette seeds and Bach rhizomes for Mumbai. I am not herb trader. If you are interested, I can guide you in search of potential suppliers of these herbs. Q. Is excessive rainfall harmful to Safed Musli crop? If you are cultivating Safed Musli crop in sloppy land or land having well managed drainage than there is no need for worry. In general excessive watering at any stage of crop is harmful to crop. Few years back heavy rainfall destroyed this crop much in Indian state Chhattisgarh but farmers aware of improved Agronomical practices faced very less loss. I would like to mention that in forests of Chhattisgarh wild Safed Musli types having capacity to survive in waterlogged soil are present. There is need to develop new varieties having capacity to tolerate excessive watering with the help of these wild types. Thirteen New Species of Safed Musli (Chlorophytum sp.) found in Chhattisgarh, India. Q. We are requiring Sarpgandha seeds in bulk. Is it available? Yes Sarpgandha seeds of current season are available in bulk. Q. In our fields Blumea weed is in abundance. Please suggest its management methods. I have observed that Blumea is not problematic in commercial cultivation of this crop. The aroma of this weed keeps the insects away. If not in abundance, this weed gives immense benefits to crops like Ambrette. Q. I am from Italy and needing twenty seeds of Indian Kevatch for my research. Please send. I suggest you to contact research organizations for supply of seeds. Farmers or traders will not supply it in this limited quantity. Q. Suggest medicinal herbs to repel snakes in Aloe farming. There are hundreds of herbs having capacity to repel the snakes. Here is link to my articles on snakes. Q. Is it possible to increase sweetness of Stevia through improved farming? I am also searching answer of this question through my Allelopathic experiments. I feel that there is much scope in such research, although very little has been achieved so far. Keep reading my research articles on Stevia at Ecoport for updates on this aspect. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 08 December, 2006. | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. I have been reading your views on pongamia and Jatropha for the past two days. I appreciate your efforts to educate the people regarding the problems associated with the cultivation of jatropha in large scale. I would be very glad if you could send me the electronic versions of articles supporting pongamia cultivation and articles comparing jatropha vs pongam for biodiesel production. You can get links to related articles from this article. Bare facts about poisonous Jatropha curcas Q. I am a chemical engineer, interested to know some information on aloe, and during my search I came across your website and therefore this mail. I would like to grow Aloe, I will be needing your assistance in this regard. I can guide you technically from cultivation to its marketing through processing. For my research articles on Aloe visit at Ecoport Articleson Aloe Research Articles - Indian Herbal Research & Methods By Pankaj Oudhia Q. Have gone through the article on Kasni. Could you please let me know if Kasni plant is available in U.P. or Delhi area? I would like to use it because of it's tremendous medicinal use specially for diabetes. How can a lay man like me recognize it? Where can I get it? Yes Kasni is available in said areas. Let me know the part as well as quantity required. You can get information about Kasni from Cichorium intybus Botanical.com articles Q. I have about 5 acres of land here and am interested in cultivation of herbal plants. Can you suggest me some plants, which are suitable for cultivation particularly for the climate of Pune? Please send details about your land specially soil analysis report. In Pune and surrounding areas over 30 types of medicinal and aromatic crops can be cultivated. As edaphic factors play vital role, soil analysis is important tool in making decision regarding crops. Q. Greetings! I saw your site regarding the "serpentina", im very much interested to order good for 30days of use. I would like to know soon if how much would it cost to order "serpentina". Please refer to previous answer on supply of herbs. I am not herb supplier. However I can guide you in search of genuine supplier. Q. Please select some crops for me to introduce & promote in Orissa. Orissa has vast resources; but un/underutilized. We want to explore this condition. Sarpgandha, Bach, Kasturi Bhindi, Stevia, Safed Musli, Kevatch, Hadjod, Kalihari, Keu Kand, Gataran, Aloe, Agave, Asgandh, Chandrashoor, Gudmar etc. are promising crops for your state. All crops are not suitable for all types of land. Cultivation after sufficient planning is key for success. Q. I am quite keen to discuss on the Stevia with you but my limitation is that for initial 2 hour meeting I can not visit Raipur, I will appreciate if you may kindly give me your valuable time for initial discussion on phone and then as required I may come to Raipur for further discussions. Due to on-going surveys and continuous documentation work, I am unable to interact through phone. I suggest you to visit Raipur after taking appointment or arrange my visit to your place for discussion. Q. Could you kindly confirm the availability of Ambrette, and if yes, what might be the production volumes and how much we can source. It would be very helpful, if you could quote the prices as well. Ambrette is present in bulk in different parts of India both of cultivated origin and wild crafted. Please inform about required quantity. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 09 December, 2006. | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. My Father is a civil engineer by profession and presently he is sub divisional officer. He is doing advance farming at his native village which is near by. He is interested in MUSLI farming. He has also read all your articles online. He wants to meet you regarding guidelines and purchase of musli seeds. Kindly let us know the genuine firm dealing with musli from whom seeds could be purchased. Also let us know the market where the musli product could be sold. I suggest you to read my recent articles having details about present status of Musli cultivation in India. In many states likeChhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra etc. from where Musli cultivation has been started the farmers are in great loss as no one is purchasing Musli as planting material. Now they are planning for processing. As they have not kept precautions while purchase of Musli and to take wrong advantage of subsidy, purchased wild varieties, are facing problem in processing also. If you are planning for cultivation in coming season then take special precaution. If you are having capacity to process and sell it in existing market price (i.e. very low than claimed by the planting material suppliers), then only go for its cultivation. There is little scope for Musli grown for planting material. Ecoport Articles on Safed Musli Q. I'm from France, i study Ayurveda and Chinese med. I work with others persons on a project. We try to collect seeds from med plants to build a seed bank and grow plant for study. We are looking for people to exchange seeds and information. If you are interested, let me know. I come in India this winter. I suggest you to send your request at National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai, India with details of your project. You will get norms for procuring seeds for seed bank from there. Q. We some of our village people wish to know the details about muskdana or any other medicine plants. We shall appreciate if you can help us whom to contact for this issue so that most of the farmers of my village would be benefited. We would like to know the following: 1. Type of land required 2. Where to get the saplings I can guide you in this regard from selection of suitable plants to its marketing both in raw and processed form. Few years back I was in Bhavanipatna city of your state to deliver lecture on medicinal crops. This program was organized by farmers association. If you arrange the similar program for the farmers of your region, I will try to come and interact with them. I am in touch of herb growers growing it organically and can guide you in getting quality seeds. But at first get all information about it before starting its cultivation. You can get details of my work on this crop from these links. Ecoport Articles Research Articles - Indian Herbal Research & Methods By Pankaj Oudhia Q. Few days ago i gone through ur article - "Safed Moosli (Chlorophytum borivilianum L.): Medicinal and Wonder Crop" . for the last few months i have been gathering info regarding cultivation of safed musli.while searching on internet i come to know abt ur achievements in this field.i have also gone thru farmers of Bastar. Really u people have done a great job in this field. so it would be of great help to us if u can provide ur valuable suggestions in this matters. I have written much on different aspects of this medicinal crop and still writing about its present situation so that farmers can decide in better way before cultivation. My most of the research articles are on-line. These articles are in English as well as Hindi. I am also writing in over 18 farm journals regularly. Indian farm journals and magazines Krishi Amrit, Vishwa Krishi Sanchar, Ahimsak Kheti and Kheti Duniya publish my articles frequently. If you need more information please feel free to meet and interact with me after taking appointment. Q. While going through the ethnobotanical surveys that you have compiled for botanical.com, I got interested in Balanites aegyptiaca (=B. roxburghii). Is it possible for you to arrange around 1 kg of fruits of this plant for development of standards, a project that we are pursuing at University? The cost of the material can be reimbursed. This herb is available with farmers as well as herb traders but they will not supply it in this limited quantity. I suggest you to contact the research organizations working on this herb for material. I am preparing list of well-studied plants of India and possible sources of information at Ecoport. Please take the help of these links to locate the organizations. List of well researched medicinal herbs of India and source of information about these herbs (A). (Oudhia, 2003) Q. I read your article about Bramhi in Botanical.com. I would like to do DNA fingerprinting to assess the genetic diversity found in Bramhi. My aim is to develop molecular methodologies to identify accessions with superior qualities for use in the herbal industry. I am not working on this aspect but I can help you in search on researchers working on this and related aspect. But let me know the purpose of information. If you are student or researcher and requiring this information for your project or research work then please send recommendation letter from your project guide or supervisor with details about you, your project and purpose of information at my home address i.e. 28-A, Geeta Nagar, Raipur-492001, India. After receiving this letter I will try to guide you. If you are requiring this information for commercial purpose then send details about your company and information needed, so that I can suggest my consultation charges. Q. Dear sir, I have written many mails but not getting reply from you? I receive hundreds of mails having no information regarding contact address and purpose of information. Such mails are not replied. Your present mail is also not having any contact details as well as other information, except your email address, which is not sufficient. Q. Hi, could I, from Singapore, ask your help where I could buy the seeds of Cassia tora? Please refer previous answers. Send more details about purpose and quantity. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 10 December, 2006. (morning) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. Please inform about your Agrohomoeopathic experiments especially on medicinal and aromatic crops. Please visit this Ecoport Interactive Table for summary of my work on use of Homoeopathic drugs in Agriculture i.e.Agrohomoeopathy. Major Homoeopathic remedies tried in Agrohomoeopathic experiments Here is another link to my Ecoport articles related to Agrohomoeopthy Q. What is duration of Gloriosa superba crop? Suggest its improved varieties also. Duration is 170-180 days and improved varieties in India are not available so far. Q. I have grown Sarpgandha in fairly large area. I am much worried about its poor growth. I have used fertilizers in bulk but failed to get good growth. I am not in favor of growing medicinal and aromatic crops with the help of chemical inputs. As organic input we are having many promising options. The use of cow dung and urine based combinations can promote the growth of Sarpgandha crop. I suggest you to send the list of weeds present in your surroundings so that I can suggest promising cow dung and urine based formulations by using these weeds to promote the crop growth. I would like to add that don't compare agricultural crops with medicinal crops in terms of growth. Give more emphasis on getting produce of high medicinal values. And through organic farming this target can be achieved. Q. We want to see commercial cultivation of Bixa. Please suggest sites. In Chhattisgarh and other parts of Central India many farmers are cultivating Bixa in large areas. You can visit these sites. Q. Many websites claim that commercial cultivation of Noni is profitable in India. What are your comments? In many parts of India including in Chhattisgarh Morinda is present in wild and still unexploited. The Internet is full of information regarding cultivation of this herb in other countries. I feel that there is need for more research before suggesting farmers to grow this crop. At present Noni is under marketing through network marketing. There is need to establish its more promising markets. I am in process of collecting information on this crop and learning from Nature's experiments. Keep reading this link for updates related to my findings. Q. Is Vanilla profitable crop for Chhattisgarh and other regions having hot summer? Many Farmers tried it but failed to establish this crop in these regions. I am not in favor of its cultivation in these regions. Q. Are you aware of any entrepreneur working on development of Safed Musli peeling machines? Yes, I am aware of many such entrepreneurs. They are ready to modify their inventions as per need of the Musli growers. Many Agricultural research organizations are also working on this aspect. Q. Is Stevia available in wild in India? No Stevia rebaudiana is not reported in India. However there are tens of herbs having properties similar to Stevia. The Traditional Healers are using these herbs to make bitter decoction sweet since time immemorial. Q. While browsing the net for medicinal plants, I came across an article by you on Safed Musli. You wrote on 31st August 2003, that you have visited 53 Safed Musli Farms and in some farms the crop is not Chlorophytum borivilianum. I am a Safed Musli Planter from Kerala. I would like to know whether we can send a sample of our crop to you to determine the quality and category of the crop? Yes, you can send it to my home address. I will try to give my comments as soon as possible. Q. I want to work at your institution on medicinal and aromatic crops. Please inform about application procedure for joining and fellowship amount. Thank you for your interest but I am working as freelance researcher. Although I am associated with farmers and many researcher organizations but I am not in job or owner of any of it. Society for Parthenium Management is society having limited members. One of the objectives of this society is to work without financial support from any organization. We run it from our own expenses. Hence we are having no fund to support researchers like you. The work on medicinal herbs and Parthenium you are seeing on net is an individual effort. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 10 December, 2006. (noon) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. Some of our customer/farmer shown interest in cultivation of medicinal crops and some have started growing also. But we do not know that which one is commercially viable and who are the buyers? And where is the market?. We wish to guide our valuable customers on these and also plan to go for contract farming having known the details. Could u pl guide us. I have identified over 75 types of medicinal and aromatic crops suitable for commercial cultivation in different parts of India with much profit. I can guide your farmers on different aspects from cultivation to marketing. Please send details of your location and soil analysis reports. It will be better if you arrange one meeting with them in order to make direct interaction. This meeting will help them a lot in decision-making. Q. Kindly send complete business proposal at my e-mail address at the earliest. Kindly make sure to send following details 1.Soil and land requirement 2.Season of cultivation 3.Envoirment, temperature water and pesticide requirement (per Acre) 4.Availability of tuber 5.Cost per Acre 6.Insurance etc 7. Selling market I intend to cultivate Moosli in Punjab (Amritsar) I don't give any business proposal to anyone. However, for my work on this wonder crop simple search "Chlorophytum Oudhia' in google, you will find the related links. If you have more questions please visit to Raipur for discussion, after taking appointment. Q. We are interested in marketing Safed Musli as Herbal Viagra and we want to know if you have any information about this herb in relation to this effect. We know that it has imp properties, which are aphrodisiac, rejuvenator, anti-ageing and general tonic, and performance booster. We are interested only in its aphrodisiac property. If you have any scientific data to support this statement in the sense what components in Safed Musli cause this effect and how does it do that. Any biochemistry of this herb in relation to its special property (aphrodisiac) that we are interested in. We would also like to get any HPLC data on this root, any clinical trials information and details about its components and their proven effects. Please let us know if you can provide us with this information. Yes I have information on all these aspects. Q. I am from Ghana and want to know the type of medicine you deal in. I am working on Indian medicinal herbs and insects. Q. I came through your website while searching articles for Safed Musli on the net. I am having a land near Jaipur (Rajasthan) which I am considering for Safed Musli cultivation. But before that I would like to clear few of my doubts: 1. Is Safed Musli cultivation profitable? 2. Is the climate of Rajasthan suitable for Safed Musli cultivation ? 3. I have also read your article on how farmers are cheating as regards cultivation of wrong species. Please explain. 4.What services do you offer for Safed Musli cultivation? Please see my previous replies related to present status of Safed Musli in India. Yes you region is suitable for cultivation of this crop. In fact many farmers are growing it there. I can guide you in its cultivation, processing and marketing. Q. While searching for Muskdana info, I came across your article on botany.com reg Kasturi Bhendi. Though brief but very informative. I'm thinking of Kasturi Bhendi cultivation organically for medicinal value. You further sir did mention about demand for seeds. May I request you, sir, to provide me with buyer's from Kolkata list or names so that perhaps I might contact them for my produce when ready. I wolud appreciate if U have any info on buyers in Maharashtra, Nagpur/Mumbai in particular. There is regular demand of Muskdana these days. Based on queries received from different parts of India and also outside India I can prepare a report having list of buyers for you. Let me know if you are interested in report and paying its charges. Q. I BECOME VERY INFLUENCE AFTER READING ABOUT Stevia.I BELONGS TO A FARMER FAMILY SO I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PLANTATION OF Stevia. MY NATIVE PLACE IS BIHAR. I WILL BE VERY THANKFUL TO YOU IF YOU SEND ME INFORMATION REGARDING IT. Please furnish more details about your land, climate, investment capacity and other details. It will help me to guide you in better way. Many farmers are growing Stevia in your state. Q. We have land near Belgaum, Karnataka we are farming Sugarcane their at present kindly inform us which herbal plants can be planted here waiting for your reply at the early. Please refer to replies given to earlier queries. Visit these links to get more information on different herbs and its cultivation practices. My contributions at Ecoport Research Articles - Indian Herbal Research & Methods By Pankaj Oudhia Q. I am a PhD student in Ukraine studying properties of water chestnut (Trapa natans). I was really impressed by your site in Internet, especially by your efficiency and versatility. In one of your works you describe Singhara (water chestnut). Since I am very interested in this plant, I would be grateful if you could give me the following information: 1. Is there any commercial production on water chestnut products (starch, flour, canned fruits etc) in India? What are names of the corresponding companies? 2. Could you please combine for me a list of references related to water chestnut, its properties and use as a food product? Visit these links for desired information Botanical.com articles Ecoport Articles Q. I was wondering if you could please get some time out of your busy schedule and tell me something about different medicinal plants found in Chhattisgarh region, their common names and their usage? Any Pointers to websites, people and institutions will also be welcome. Simply search 'Chhattisgarh Oudhia' in google to get thousands of related links. Q. I will be happy if you can give me some more information regarding different varieties of Alma with respect to their therapeutic potential. Your kind co-operation in my endeavor is anticipated. For my work on Amla please visit these links Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles Q. I want to see pictures of Indian herbs. Please suggest websites. My over 26,000 pictures taken during Ethnobotanical surveys are on-line at Ecoport link Q. We are suppliers of Stevia planting material from Chhattisgarh. We sell one plant in eight rupees. As you receive hundreds of queries on Stevia why don't you forward it to us? We are ready to pay you. First of all the cost fixed by you for Stevia plant is very high. I feel that this short cut approach is making this crop as crop of rich farmers. Secondly after reading my articles the farmers write to me with hope to get genuine planting material at lower rates. That is why I take special precaution. Instead of recommending blindly any supplier I prefer to visit with farmers to the suppliers. Send details about your location and farming practices adopted by your farms. I wish to make surprise visit to these farms and only after complete satisfaction will think of guiding farmers towards you. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 10 December, 2006. (evening) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. Sir, I have seen your hundreds of research articles on net but all are in English. Why don't you write in Hindi for farmers? I have written over 2000 Hindi articles on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and still writing. Here is list of my some Hindi articles. My Hindi articles are available on-line also. For Indian farmers I have written three books. Please name the crop I will direct you to list of articles. Q. In Andhra Pradesh a nursery is selling Rauvolfia serpentina plants having sweet roots and rich in medicinal properties. I have yet not seen it. Are these claims true? The taste of Rauvolfia serpentina roots is bitter. Instead of believing on claims go for chemical analysis of plants available with them. It will be better if they will pay for this testing. Q. In your thousands of research articles it is hard to sort out articles having information on one type of herb. Why don't you classify it? I have tried to categorize some articles based on its scientific names. Many articles are classified on the basis on diseases. Here is link Internet Links to Research Articles based on Ethnobotanical Surveys conducted in different parts of Chhattisgarh by Pankaj Oudhia. Q. Is there regular demand of Gulbakawali? Yes there is regular demand of Gulbakawali Ark both at national and international level. Present natural population of this herb is not enough to fulfill this demand. This is the reason the traders are selling it by diluting it with water. Q. I read your article on Artemisia in Kheti Duniya and want to get more information on this new crop. Please send details. Visit this link for research articles on different species of this herb. Q. Suggest suitable intercrops for Sarpgandha crop. For different agro-climatic zones researchers have suggested different intercrops for Sarpgandha. Dil, Fennel, Coriander, Chandrashoor, Akarkara, Asgandh, Kalmegh are among these crops. I suggest you to send details about your location and land. It will help me to suggest suitable crops. Q. Are Stevia leaves 300 times sweeter than sugar? Stevia leaves contain Stevioside and Rebaudioside A. First one is 110-270 times sweeter than sugar and second is 180-400 times sweeter than sugar. Stevioside contain dominates over Rebaudioside A contain. Q. I am from Jabalpur. In your articles on organic farming you have mentioned Fudhar. What is local name of this herb in my region. Fudhar is known as Ak or Akkua in your region. Take a look at these Ecoport pictures for getting clear idea of this herb **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 11 December, 2006. (morning) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. We are preparing five well-known products of Aloe but getting no market. We are selling it through door-to-door marketing but it will not continue up to long time. Please guide. Along with five well-known products of Aloe there are over 150 types of products can be prepared from Aloe. There is much competition in these five products but very less competition in other products. Many of these products have been mentioned in Ayurveda. I worked much on different aspects of these products. You will be surprised to know that Aloe is immense potential as tool for organic farming. I suggest you to enter in this new field and get maximum advantage. Be pioneer and do some thing different from others in order to get real success in market. Link to Ecoport Articles on Aloe Q. We are from Southern Chhattisgarh and want to sell Aloe gel in bulk. Please guide. Please send the sample as well as analysis report. I will try to forward this information to Aloe buyers. As Aloe is world famous and Aloe products are prepared with International standards, there is much competition. I suggest you to adopt modern technologies to prepare Aloe gel and other products. Small-scale production and poor quality Aloe products give poor returns. Q. What are your comments on feasibility of Lemon Grass cultivation in different parts of India? We are in process of large-scale farming. The success stories of Lemon Grass cultivation are limited to specific parts of India. In many places farmers found its cultivation full of losses. Like every aromatic crop, cultivation after planning results in promising results. From selection of land to its processing and marketing, much technical expertise is required. I suggest you to keep this key point in mind while going for its large-scale plantation. At last but not least, there is regular demand of hi-quality end product both in national and international markets. Link to Ecoport Articles on Lemon Grass Q. Have you Mucuna pruriens standardized more than 20% L-Dopae extract of food/pharm.degree ? In case you have it, please tell us its price. Have you a Distributor in Italy? I can provide technical guidance for the potential Indian as supplier of this extract. Q. We have access to an unspecified amount (ranging from 300 kg or more) of Ginseng, resembling Korean Ginseng, grown in the sub-Himalayan terrain. The roots have not been harvested as yet & the plants still stand in the forest enclave. The plants have not been subjected to any kind of pesticide treatment at all, and the roots are of ages ranging from 5 yrs. to 30 yrs & above, & are essentially a mixture of different ages. If you should be interested in purchasing the same, kindly get back to us. You are welcome to inspect the roots, to authenticate the quality of the same. I suggest you to go for its botanical identification. The researchers at NBRI, Lucknow can do this job. After it, approach to National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai, India to get present status of this herb. Please confirm whether its trade is permitted or not? After getting this information, write back to me. I will try to guide you in search of potential buyers. Q.Can you, please, advise me where to get the seeds of: 1. Pterocarpus marsupium (for diabetes) 2. Withania somnifera (as an adaptogen) 3. Vitex negundo (for insomnia) Yes I can guide you in this regard. Please inform about the quantity required. Q.I have been reading your articles on the net often, and find it very informative and relevant. But this article just is mind blowing... Mr. PANKAJ OUDHIA with a TRADITIONAL HEALER from Bastar(India). This 86 year old retired forest officer discovered a unique plant that attracts poisonous snakes and kills them on contact. i am curious about this plant and how can i plant it in my farm house as i would like to safeguard my house and my child. This plant is very rare and I have seen very few of it in wild. We are in process of its conservation. Hence it is not possible to provide this plant. However I suggest you to read my articles on other traditional ways of snake management. Link to Ecoport Articles on snake management Q.I am interested in discussing potential opportunities in the medicinal plantation, processing, and marketing. What would be good time to discuss through yahoo chat? Discussion is possible but not in way you suggested. Visit to Raipur after taking appointment and interact with me on desired aspects. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 11 December, 2006. (evening) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. We are cultivating medicinal crops organically but not aware natural solution to treat seeds. Please guide. In general the organic growers use diluted cow urine for seed treatment. For different medicinal and aromatic crops with farmers of Indian state Chhattisgarh I have prepared different herbal solutions. To prepare these solutions specific herbs are mixed with cow urine and fresh dung. Please give the list of your crops so that I can suggest suitable formulations accordingly Q. I searched International buyers of Bach but no one is aware of Bach outside India. Please guide. Internationally Bach is known as Sweet Flag or from its scientific name Acorus calamus. Its oil is known as Calamus oil. There is regular demand of this oil both in national and international markets. Q. Is it suitable time for growing Mulethi? Mulethi can be sown from 15 January to 15 February. Its time for preparation, if you want to grow it in this season. Q. How much rhizome is required for one hac. of Keu Kand crop? In general 20 quintal rhizomes are required for one hac. Q. What are simple ways of testing genuine Sarpgandha roots? There are many ways. I prefer this testing method. When freshly fractured surface of its roots is treated with concentrated nitric acid, red coloration along with medullary rays can be seen. Q. Is there any book available in Hindi on new medicinal crop Stevia? I have written over 20 Hindi articles on different aspects of this crop. Now I am planning to publish a book on it with the addresses of growers and buyers. Q. What is oil percentage in Ambrette oil? Seeds contain 0.2 to 0.6 percent oil. Q. We are having Safed Musli tubers in bulk. Please suggest ways of its utilization. There are many ways. But seeing its present status my suggestion is to go for its processing and get returns by selling dry Musli in national markets. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 12 December, 2006. (morning) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. We want to grow Geranium commercially. From where we can get seeds? Geranium is propagated vegetative through cuttings. In general 25,000 cuttings are required for one hac. Please inform the quantity required. Q. I am from Jharkhand and selected Kapur Kachri crop as new crop. Do you see any scope in it? Yes I see much scope in this crop although it is not under cultivation in large areas. There is regular demand of this herb and through organic cultivation good quality crop can be grown. If you wish, I can guide you from cultivation to its marketing. Q. I am cultivating French Basil in South India and want to use organic inputs for pest management. In general insects not cause much damage to this crop but if you want to use cow dung and urine based formulations through FFCDS method than add Bach leaves in it to get good results. Q. I want to cultivate Bhringraj in Chhattisgarh. Is it profitable? This herb grows as weed in rice fields. There is no need for its commercial cultivation. If you are aware of its market then simply purchase it from farmers and sell it. Q. I purchased Akarkara seeds from Bhopal. Even after one month of its sowing in my field in Bagbahera, seeds are not germinating. Please guide. I always suggest the farmers to perform germination test at home by keeping seeds in moist cloth. If germination is good only then purchase it. Adulteration in Akarkara seeds is common malpractice. Many times poor quality or seeds of previous year are supplied. No germination after one month indicates failure. Make complaint against the seed supplier and ask for fresh seeds. I am visiting your region in few days and will try to meet you. Q. I have taken Rs. 5000 consultation from consultant for commercial cultivation of Charota. Now I am starting its cultivation. Please give information related to its marketing. Like above-mentioned Eclipta, Charota also grows as weed everywhere during rainy season. Its cultivation is not required. Also it is not profitable. It seems that someone has misguided you. In future before such consultation, try to get information through Internet and in case of specific advice, on any aspect, contact to genuine experts. Q. Sir, a firm is offering me contract farming of Gloriosa with buy back guarantee. Is it OK? I have not read their terms and conditions. If you need my comments then send their proposals. I have yet not seen or heard about ideal buy back scheme in the field of medicinal and aromatic crops so far. In general to sell planting material suppliers make such promises with so much hidden conditions and rules. Care is must before accepting their proposals. Q. Please suggest forums for discussion on marketing of Indian medicinal and aromatic crops. There are many yahoo groups and Orkut communities. For Indian herbs you can join Marketingmaap yahoo group run by me. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 12 December, 2006. (evening) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. I need the information about Tridax procumbens and its medicinal properties. So sir kindly give the details about TRIDAX plant very briefly. Here are links to my articles on this herb. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles Q. I am very interested to cultivate “Coleus forskohlii” & “Safed Musli” in my land at West Bengal, India. Is this possible? Yes its cultivation is possible in your region. Perhaps many farmers growing these crops in this region are in my regular contact. I suggest you to go for soil analysis for selected land and with report meet to me for details about cultivation as well as marketing. Q. I am from USA and looking to purchase of some Strychnos potatorum Linn. Could you suggest some sources for me? Yes Nirmali is available in bulk with the traders. It is well know minor forest produce. Please inform about the quantity required. Q. We have 15 Mt rhizome of Acorus calamus. We need original buyer for this. I suggest you to go for analysis of samples. Send the report to me I will forward it to the end users. Q.I wanted to start trading business in Safed Musli, however due to my lack of contacts with farmers who can supply this, it is putting me back. I would really like to thank you in advance for helping me in whatever way you can. I have tried to establish the network of Safed Musli growers both on-line as well as through ground level contacts. I suggest you to join Safed Musli yahoo group. And for list of growers from different regions of India and abroad meet to me after taking appointment. Q. In interested in planting 3 ha. of Mucuna pruriens in the south-eastern coast of Mexico where I own land. I've done my research and this is the best choice to re-mineralize the soil in order to be productive again. But I'm having a lot of trouble finding someone to sell me the seeds in so much quantity. Could you recommend or link me to someone that can ship around 70 kilos of Mucuna to Mexico? I am forwarding your message to potential suppliers with hope that they will contact you as soon as possible. Q. About information of medicinal plant Kali Musli, please give at your earliest. Here are links to my research articles on this medicinal herb. Ecoport Articles. Botanical.com Articles Q.Please inform about the methods to test Aloe species. We are growing Aloe vera and want to test it. There are many methods. You can get details from this link and related research paper. Popular chemical tests for Aloes of commercial importance. Many national laboratories are testing Aloe at very cheap rates. You can take services of these labs for quick testing. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 13 December, 2006. (morning) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. In one of the Hindu mythological stories, namely Ramayana, it seems Hanuman could bring Lakshman back to life with the help of Sanjeeveni plant. Is there a plant/herb that closely resembles Sanjeeveni plant? Or is it just a fiction? I am just curious to know about it. Your feedback will be highly appreciated. Many Indian herbs are known as Sanjeevani Booti but in Indian state Chhattisgarh the Traditional Healers consider Gloriosa superba as Sanjeevani Booti. Here are links to my research articles on this herb Sanjivani Booti of Chhattisgarh: Needing Conservation Efforts. Ecoport Articles on Gloriosa Botanical.com Articles Q. It was nice and informative article to read this article of yours. In Bastar lot of other herbal and medicinal plants are available. Safed moosli and its usage are now well known to common persons and that is the reason it is being exploited wildly by mankind. It would be really useful if other medicinal plants like Malkangini, Chiraita and other plants. For my articles on Malkangani and Kalmegh, locally known as Chiraita in Chhattisgarh and original Chiraita, please visit these links. Ecoport Articles on Malkangani Ecoport Articles on Kalmegh Ecoport Articles on Chiraita Botanical.com Articles on Malkangani Botanical.com Articles on Kalmegh Botanical.com Articles on Chiraita Q. I am planning to cultivate Chlorophytum borivilianum. We have some planting material through wild source. Now I am confused weather it is Chlorophytum borivilianum or Chlorophytum arundinaceum. Please tell me how to differentiate between these two plants. Please refer to replies of similar queries given earlier. Q. I wonder if you remember me. I was one of your trainees in that training for Mushroom, and one of the biggest admirers of your skills, too. Well this time what made me write to you was that, I just wanted to ask you as to if i want to sell Mushrooms some where in UP, What will I have to do for this. Please do let me know what information you can give to me in this regard. Can you kindly give me the addresses, where to sell my products, only within UP. Please inform the Mushroom species you are growing. In India many types of medicinal mushroom exist. Unfortunately these mushroom species are not available as commercial products. I suggest you to enter in business of these medicinal mushrooms. Here is links to articles on Mushroom. Ecoport Research Articles Q. Can you arrange "Gloriosa superba seeds" at an early? I have received 6 calls from the exporter in the last 6 days. Kindly reply. Yes I can guide you in this regard. Please inform about specification as well as quantity required. Q. Pankaj ji, I need your assistance. Please inform me the common names of the following herbs, when and where they are found. Folia Fragaria vesca. Folia Plantago major. Flos Chamomilla officinalis. Herba Thymus serpyllum. Sunhemp seeds. Drosera peltata. Lycopodium clavatum. Nymphaea alba. Albizia lebbeck. Luffa cylindrica. Nymphaea coerulea or Egyptian blue lotus. Balwa Leaves. Chia Seeds Chia Powder. Ammi majus. Atropa belladonna. Telegraph plants. Hibiscus sp. ABRUS PRECATORIUS SEEDS ALSTONIA SCHOLaRIS SEEDS ARGYREIA NERVOSA Visit to Ecoport.org and search these species. You will get desired information. Q. I have received an order for 3 Tons of Kalmegh (whole Dried Plants) from Bangalore. Please quote me the best rate. Please inform the packing charge; also find out the freight charge from Raipur to Bangalore. On the basis of your reply, I would quote the final rate to the party. Kalmegh is available in bulk in Chhattisgarh. I am forwarding your query to traders. Q. We are interested in services you provide. Do let us know your detailed address and contact nos. My address is 28-A, Geeta Nagar, Raipur-492001 Chhattisgarh, India and mobile is 91-9827115642. Before making contact through phone please take time through email. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 13 December, 2006. (evening) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. I am from Gujarat and want to grow medicinal and aromatic crops used in Herbal Tea business. Please guide. In India hundreds of herbs are used both along and in combination with other herbs in preparation of Herbal Tea. It is bitter fact that still we have less information about different types of Herbal Tea used by the Traditional Healers of India in form of published literatures. I have tried to document this knowledge. I suggest you to visit these links and select the species. Send it to me I will give details of its commercial cultivation. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles Q. Please send print outs of your all publications. I am ready to bear the cost. Few days back I was just estimating the quantum of my work in form of research articles, pictures, tables, fact sheets etc., randomly. Total pages are over 80,000 (Till yesterday). I calculated it from minimum but actual estimate will give correct figure. It will be very costly to take its print out. I suggest you to read it online and instead of taking print outs of all matter go for selected matters. Q. As you have written in your articles that youths are not entering in field of marketing to help the herbs growers, I want to enter in this field. Please help in getting information on demand. I suggest you to visit this link for interactive tables on national and international queries. Keep visiting this link as new tables are added frequently. These tables will help you in understanding the market trend. Q. I need 10,000 plants of Caesalpinia digyna plants. Please arrange it. It is rare herb and needing conservation efforts. I suggest you to write to National research organizations working on medicinal plants for this supply. Q. We heard your name during International Rice conference held in New Delhi few months back as you are working on medicinal rice. Please send list of your publications on medicinal rice. Here are links to my research articles on medicinal rice. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com articles Q. Are improved varieties of Solanum viarum available? Yes many improved varieties like RRL-20-2, Arka Sanjivini are available. Q. We are planning for Annatto. Please suggest its spacing. Its recommended spacing is 4.5 m X 4.5 m. Q. Namaskar from Punjab. Send your Hindi article on Kevtach in this email id. This article is on-line and here is link Hindi article on present status and direction of Indian medicinal crop Kevatch (Mucuna pruriens) : My experiences. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 14 December, 2006. (morning) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. I am interested in purchasing your report on Aromatics and also the Directory you have. Please let me know the prices and the process (payment Modes) by which I can get them. Please specify your requirement. I have prepared many such reports and directories as per need of clients. Q. I want you to help us identify the varieties that are best suited for Andhra Pradesh climate and also direct us in terms of project profiles and links on the web. We want to start with cultivation and expand into processing at a later date. Visit to Ecoport.org and Botanical.com for desired information. If you need any specific information then write back to me. Q. We are in the business of herbs and extracts. Please give me your details of the activity for finding out further business opportunities. For details about my activities, and me please visit at http://www.pankajoudhia.com Q. I need your help for following questions. -Are you testing aloe vera sample for different content? -Can you give the addresses of Aloe vera testing laboratories in India? -Can you give the consultancy for setting up of an aloe vera liquid extract plant? if yes then you are welcome, If no, then i request you to send the addresses of consultants or manufacturers addresses for the same. - What is the standard process for making aloe extract from fresh harvested leaves? -Which preservatives are to be added in to liquid extract and what are the concentration, ratio and procedure? -What is the maximum heating temperature for making concentrated extract? -Is there any representative from your side in India for such type of consultancy? -Can you give the machinery manufacturers addresses, contact number for aloe vera extraction plant in India? -Are you ready to give consultancy in this front? -Are you ready to marketing tie-up on large quantity of aloe vera liquid extract? - Can you test the sample for the quality checks? I request you to send the information for my reference. I am having information on all these aspects. I suggest you to visit Raipur for detailed discussion on this aspect, after taking appointment. Q. We are looking for suppliers who can supply genuine planting material at competitive price in bulk immediately of seeds of Safed Musli, Mentha, Asparagus racemosus, Aloe vera . I can guide you in this regard. Please send details about your location as well as quantity required. Q. We are biotech company in marketing and exports and we are very keen to know the potential for the herbs and aromatic plants as we are sure that it is creating wonders in export market but i would like to know more about domestic market too as we are thinking of setting up a new technology from USA to set up and grow herbs and plants in Gujarat. I would like to know which are the herbs to start with and which can give good value in this market. We would like to know your opinion for this and carry on. Thank you. It is indeed very kind of you to help new people in this field and guide them. I suggest you to read my research articles at Ecoport and Botanical.com related to Indian medicinal and aromatic crops. I have written on its different aspects. After reading this, visit to Raipur for specific discussion, after taking appointment. Q. I was interested in export of Safed Musli. Kindly send me details of this herb Please send 1. Samples 2. Analysis report. 3. Quantity available 4. Your complete contact details. I will try to forward it to potential buyers. Q. I am planting material supplier of Stevia and needing information on its demand in different parts of India. I suggest you to visit these links for desired information. Ecoport Articles Ecoport Interactive Tables **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 14 December, 2006. (evening) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. I am from Himachal Pradesh and want to grow Foxglove. What type of soil is required for its cultivation? For Digitalis well drained sandy loam soil rich in organic matter is required. I suggest you to go for its organic cultivation. Q. We want to cultivate Cinchona. Can you guide us in its cultivation? Yes I am aware of agro-techniques required for organic cultivation of Cinchona. Q. I want to see cultivation of Duboisia with group of farmers. Please give time. Duboisia is not under cultivation in Chhattisgarh. I suggest you to contact the researchers of Karnataka and nearby regions where it is under cultivation. Q. What is seed rate of Holy Thistle. Is it profitable to grow as commercial crop? Seed rate for one hac. is 3 Kg depending up on germination percentage. Yes its well-planned cultivation is profitable. Q. Is it possible to grow Bach with Bramhi? Yes. Chhattisgarh farmers are growing these herbs as mixed crop. Many of them are growing rice, Bach and Bramhi in same field successfully. Q. What is Bishop' s weed? It is medicinal crop? It is common name of Ammi visnaga. It is herb from Egypt where it holds a status of weed. In reference literatures this herb is mentioned as medicinal herb and agro-techniques of this herb is available. Q. I want to get more information about Trombidium herb. Trombidium is red velvet mite not an herb. Please visit to these links for desired information. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles Q. We are from Kanpur and want to grow Neem in large scale. Please send details about it? Visit these links for links to my research articles on different aspects of this herb. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 15 December, 2006. (morning) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. Basically I m from a farmer family, we have 30 acres of irrigated land. I m interested to guide my family in this new era of lucrative farming of Ayurvedic product. Recently i m hearing about one of them: Aloe vera. If u have any further information or even if u can guide to me in this regards that will be great help for me. Looking forward and expecting some positive response. I suggest you to plan for processing also if you are going for large-scale plantation. Many farmers have grown it in large areas but their dependency on processors is becoming curse for them. I am in touch with many end users of Aloe products. You are suggested to contact them in order to get idea of market trend. Please consult previous replies on Aloe for more information. I can guide you on all aspects of its cultivation and marketing. Q. Sir, Please give details of aloe vera plants. Address of supplier of Aloe vera plants. If you have any information please send me address. I am in touch of Aloe suppliers of different states. Please send details about your state and also quantity required. Q. We are planning to grow Basil. We are based in Delhi. We want to network with people of mutual interest towards a world class production center for value added products in aromatherapy. Please let us know of if and how do you like to get involved in such projects. Also if it is possible to meet personally preferably in New Delhi. I can guide you as resource person. For meeting at your place, you can arrange it in second week of February 2007. Q. FOR DRUM STICKS (MORINGA OLEIFERA) WOULD REQUEST YOU TO PROVIDE MORE COOMERCIAL DETAILS ON THE SAME. AS I AM PLANNING CULTIVATION I HAVE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IF YOU CAN PLEASE HELP. 1) THERE IS LOT OF RESEARCH AND INFO AVAILABLE FOR THE VARIOUS USES, BUT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER THESE HAS RESULTED INTO THE COMEERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL DEMAND OR NOT? 2) IF YES WHO ARE THE BUYERS IN INDIA APART FORM TRADITIONAL VEGITABLE WHOLESALERS.LIKE EXPORTERS OR ANY OTHER INDUSTRIAL REQUREMENT? 3) WHO ARE THE FORIGN BUYERS? 4) SAPLING OF 1FEET HIGHT ARE BEING SOLD BY NURSERIES ARE THESE RIGHT SAPPLINGS? 5) WHAT IS THE EXPORT QUALITY REQD? ANY INFORMATION ON ABOVE ISSUES WOULD BE OF GREAR HELP AND GUIDANCE. For basic information on this plant visit these links. And for detailed discussion on these and other aspects meet to me at Raipur after taking appointment. Q. I have been reading your prompt and knowledgeable replies to people growing medicinal and aromatic plants. I am very keen on starting a small farm of about 5 acres for growing medicinal and aromatic plants on the outskirts of Chandigarh. Request give me all possible outputs that you can such as plants to be grown, who are the buyers, financial implications, feasibility of the project, anybody who can be hired as a consultant etc. Shall be extremely grateful in case you could give me the relevant information. You are suggested to give the names of crops in which you are interested so that I can forward the desired details. In mean time you can read my research articles and Ecoport.org and Botanical.com. Q. Your resume is quite impressive. What I am interested to know is whether you have come across a large amount of natural waste product that is being discarded without isolation. Say for example after extraction of active ingredient other related compounds are just discarded because they are of no use. I am interested in such products. If you know any please suggest. I am working on possible utilization of waste from pharmaceutical companies. In the field of Agriculture weed utilization is my favorite subject. In general weed is considered as waste plant. Also I am working on management of polythene waste through plastic eating organisms mainly insects. You can take advantage of these experiences. Q. Please tell me how much will it cost and what shall be your consultancy fees to set up a laboratory for Alkaloids Testing. Also do you have knowledge about testing of essential oils? I look forward to your detailed response. It depends of many factors from the name of Alkaloid to production capacity. I suggest you to meet me in Raipur for detailed discussions on this aspect. We can also visit to the advanced units. Q. I don't think I am getting a fair price for my ginseng could you help me? We love to dig but just want a fair price. Can you tell me a fair price? Or help me sell this season. I am forwarding your message to potential Ginseng buyers. Q. I am interested in planting a few acres of my land in Dist Ratnagiri; with medicinal herbs. My land has shown good growth of Amla, Singapore Coconut, Supari andCashew Nut. I am taking the liberty of writing to you hoping to get your professional opinion and assistance. My queries are: 1. What are the herbal plants I can successfully grow in my land? 2. What is the net yield of such plants per acre (in Rs)? 3. What is the water requirement with drip irrigation method.? 4. What is the investment needed per acre (excluding the drip irrigation cost)? 5. Can you provide regular consultation and materials for the plantation? 6. Can you provide your views regarding further processing of the produce and it's marketing? Please see previous replies. Yes I can guide you in this regard. For basic ideas you are suggested to read my research articles at Ecoport.org and Botanical.com. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 15 December, 2006. (evening) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. Please give us information on Rosmary. Is it requires same machinery like Lemon Grass for extraction of oil? Visit this link to get information on this herb. Yes it requires the similar machinery. Ecoport Link Q. What is seed rate of Isabgol? 8 Kg seeds are required for one hactare. Q. I read your series on Traditional Allelopathic Knowledge and want to use it for commercial production of medicinal crops. Please guide. I suggest you to name the crops in which you want to use this knowledge I will forward the information. Although I have written thousands of extended summaries on this knowledge but still majority of this knowledge is in undocumented form. I am giving time regularly to add full information in these summaries side by side. Keep visiting these articles and links for new updates. Q. Why you suggest purchasing of Neem seedcake in original form, not in powder form? I have observed that powdered Neem cake is full of adulteration. It is also costly. That is why I suggest the farmers to buy cheap cakes and convert it in to powder at home. Q. We are cultivating Stevia in Chhattisgarh and want to buy Neem seed cake. Please inform about the sources? You can get Neem cake easily in big cities like Raipur and Durg but I suggest you to visit neighboring state Orissa if you are interested in bulk purchase. Here you will get pure as well as cheap material. Q. What is duration of Artemisia annua crop? 135-150 days. Q. Please forward links to your research articles on medicinal tree Pterocarpus marsupium. Here are the links. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles Q. Can you help in search of suppliers of wild crafted honey in bulk from your region for its sell in USA and European countries? Yes I can guide you in this regard. I am forwarding your query to the suppliers. Meanwhile send details about quantity required as well as quality parameters, if any. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
| Replies of selected Queries received on 16 December, 2006. (morning) | Return To Table of Contents |
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 Q. I have Farm in Rajasthan. Please let me know the kind of services you offer in growing herbal crops. Pl. suggest some herbals crops which require less water. I would appreciate if you can these questions before I come to Raipur for discussions. I would also like to discuss some business details for my agri start up in this part of the country. There are number of crops that requires less water like Aloe. I suggest you to read my research articles at Ecoport.org and Botanical.com. It will help you in selecting suitable crops for your region. Q. Can you please guide us regarding commercial cultivation of aromatic plants? We have got nearly 25 acr land. This year we are planning to go for [[Safed Musli]e363542] on 5 acr in the month of may .for remaining area could you please suggest us any other aromatic plant having good yield and good market potential. Please also inform us regarding any reliable consultant /books available (with yield per acr realistic calculation) for suggested crops. Or if possible any agency interested in contract farming. For books, articles, addresses of farmers and list of crops suitable for different situations, classification based on profitability etc. read my articles at Ecoport and Botanical.com. Be careful in taking decision of growing Safed Musli seeing its present status. Useful Ecoport Link Q. Respected sir, I urgently require info on cultivation prac, yield pre acre, market value & names of farmers who grow kali musli. I shall be highly grateful if you provide me with the details. Visit these links for my work on this medicinal herb. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles Q. We are in a position to collect large quantity of handpicked dry and hand crushed Neem leaves powder and drum stick leaves in Orissa, through a network of Self Help groups for their economic development. We seek your help in marketing these and many other herbs abundantly found here. We are already in the process of networking for collecting herbs. Please let us know the buyer for the above-mentioned herbs as well as green chireta and their rates. We will appreciate your early reply. I am forwarding this information to the traders interested in buying these herbs. Meanwhile please send samples at my home address. Also send detailed list of medicinal herbs your group is capable of supplying. Q. I have been trying to gather the information about the different Herbs, which can be suitable for the starting of the business of making powder & the extracts from those. I would highly appreciate you if you could guide me on the following: 1) Which are the prominent herbs can be made into powdered form & what is the market for those? 2) From where can I get the information about the extraction process of the different herbs & the important content of that herb? 3) I have read your article on the herbs conservation & Safed Musli .In that you had mentioned about some healers using the herbs for blood cancer (Insect & snake attracting herb) & want to do the research on the content, & many other such healers using different herbs. Let me answer your third question first. Herb named Bhramarmari is used for treatment of cancer not Safed Musli. You have merged the in formation given in two different articles. I have prepared long list of herbal powder and extracts having good marketing potential based on my experiences. I suggest you to visit Raipur with list of herbs available with you; we will sort out the potential powder and extracts suitable for you. Q. I would be very grateful if you kindly send me a reprint on "medicinal uses of Green leaf hopper" by post. I am also very interested on your papers on "Allelopathic effect". If possible, could you also send me some of your research papers on Allelopathy. Thanking you for your kind cooperation. My research paper on Green Hopper is on-line at IRRI website For my work on Allelopathy please visit these links. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles Q. Please send me name of websites to search the references of ginger for fertilizer management. i try to open www.nic.in but i am not succeed. I suggest you to search scholar.google.com and Scirus.com for academic information. For my work on Ginger visit these links. Ecoport Articles Botanical.com Articles Q. Kindly send the list of Amla buyers of national and international to my postal address. I will pay the amount if you send it through v.p.p., otherwise you will inform the price of the booklet containing above said information, I will send the same amount through D.D. Please inform which type of Amla you are having. I am having separate list of buyers for wild and cultivated Amla types. **If you are having any question on Indian medicinal and aromatic crops and you like to get answer through present article, write to me directly with your full details at poudhia@gmail.com and type Ecoport 1671 as subject.**  |
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