Factors affecting cultivation: Altitude, temperature and humidity Rainfall or irrigation Soil and soil fertility Fertilizers Pest and Pest management

1. Factors Affecting
Cultivation
Presented by-
Diksha Kataria
Assistant Professor
Lord Shiva College of Pharmacy, Sirsa

2. Cultivation of drugs-
Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants takes of plant habitats and climatic requirements for
their favorable growth.
The exogenous factors which are given special attention for cultivation are listed below:
1. Altitude, temperature and humidity
2. Rainfall or irrigation
3. Soil and soil fertility
4. Fertilizers
5. Pests and pest control

3. Altitude, Temperature and Humidity
 Altitude is an important factor in cultivation of medicinal plants. Some of the
plants grow at high altitudes while some at low altitudes. Plants like Senna also
grow at sea level.
Plants Altitude (metres)
Tea 1000-1500
Cinchona 1000-2000
Camphor 1500-2000
Cinnamon 250-1000
Coffee 1000-2000
Clove up to 900
Saffron up to 1250
Cardamom 600-1600

4.  Temperature and Humidity- It is another major factor affecting cultivation
of medicinal plants.
 With decrease in temperature, ice crystals are formed in intercellular
spaces of plants due to which proper respiration can not take place and
cells die.
 Humidity is present in the form of water vapours and affects the plant
transpiration.
 Decrease in temperature increases relative humidity.
 Excessive temperature as well as frost affects the plant growth adversely.
 For example,
Plant Optimum temperature (˚F)
Coffee 55-70
Tea 70-90
Cardamom 50-100

5. Rainfall and Irrigation
 Most of the plants need water and proper irrigation and sufficient
rainfall for their development.
 Soil mainly depends on rainfall for water source.
 Water from rainfall flows into rivers and lakes and then into the soil to
form groundwater which largely influences morphology and physiology
of the plant.
 In few cases, well distributed rainfall is desired throughout the year.
 Continuous rainfall can also lead to loss of water soluble substances
from leaves and roots by leaching.

6. Soil and Soil fertility
 Soil is the most important natural resource as it supports growth of all plants.
 It provides mechanical strength as well as water and essential food elements for
plant growth.
 Soil makes chemical makeup and nutrients available to plants.
 The capacity of soil to supply nutrients in quantities and proportions required and
to provide a suitable medium for growth of plant is known as soil fertility.
 Soil consists of mineral matter, water and organic matter. Mineral matter creates
variations in soil forms.
 Air and water gives rise to pores, while purified and decayed plant and animal
parts constitute the organic matter.

7. Depending upon the size of mineral matter, following names are
given to the soil:
Particle size (diameter) Types of soil
Less than 0.002 mm Fine clay
0.002 to 0.02 mm Coarse clay or silt
0.02 to 0.2 mm Fine sand
0.2 to 2.00 mm Coarse sand

8. Types of soil Percentage covered
Clay More than 50% of clay
Loamy 30 to 50% of clay
Silt loam 20 to 30% to clay
Sandy loam 10 to 20 % of clay
Sandy soil More than 70% sandy soil
Calcareous soil More than 20% of lime
Depending upon the percentage covered by clay, soils are
classified as given below:

9.  The pH of soil decides favourable growth of plants and presence
of micro- organisms.
 The maximum availability of plant nutrients is between pH range
6.5-7.5.
 Acidic soils are not suitable for growth of leguminous plants
because it solubilizes more iron.
 Soil fertility can be maintained by addition of animal manures,
nitrogen fixing bacteria or by application of fertilizers.

10. Fertilizers and Manures
 Plants also need food for their growth and development.
 The plants basically need carbon dioxide, sun rays, water and mineral matter from soil for
proper growth.
 A fertilizer is any material that supplies one or more nutrients essential for growth of plants.
 They also enhance the effectiveness of soil by improving its water retention and aeration.
Types of fertilizers:
a) Chemical fertilizers- Plants need both primary (N, P) and secondary nutrients (S, Ca, Mg) for
their growth.
• Trace elements/ micronutrients like copper, manganese, iron, zinc are also necessary for plant
growth. C, O, H, Cl are obtained from air and water.
• Every element has its own function and its deficiency is characterized by certain symptoms.
• For example, deficiency of boron slows down plant development and metabolism.

11. b) Manures are the materials mixed with soil. They supply all the nutrients required
by crop plants, thus, increasing their productivity. They are categorised into
three:
• Farmyard manure- Cow dung manure, poultry manure
• Composited manure- This consists of a mixture of rotted or decomposed and
useless parts of plants and animals. Example- Organic nitrogen supplements, bone
meal, fish meal
• Green manure- Neem seed cake, vermi compost, oil cakes
c) Biofertilizers- The inadequate supply, high cost and undesired effects of
chemical fertilizers and manures led farmers to opt for a more suitable form, that
is, Biofertilizers.
• These consist of various micro-organisms or lower organisms which fix the
atmospheric nitrogen in soil, so, plants can use them.
• For example, Legume – Rhizobium symbiosis; Azola – Anabaena symbiosis

12. Pest and Pest control
 Pest is an undesired plant or animal species which lowers or destroys
the quality of crop.
 Pesticides are chemicals derived from natural and synthetic sources
effective in small concentrations against pest.
 Types of Pest:
a. Fungi and viruses- Different type of fungi are known to occur on
medicinal plants and cause diseases. For example, Ascochyta atropae
causes formation of greyish white irregular spots causing necrosis of
leaves. Phytophthora nicotianae occurs on belladonna leaves and other
plants in which dropping of young leaves and branches, yellowing of
older leaves occurs. This is called as phytophthora root-rot.

13. Viruses also cause diseases in plants. Tobacco mosaic virus, cucumber
mosaic virus and tobacco ring spot virus are observed on digitalis and
hyoscyamus.
b. Insects- Various insect pests which attack on medicinal plants are
Agrotis species, Heliothis armigera and Odontoermes obesus. The
other insect pests known to cause damage to plants are caterpillar,
cutworms, termites, weevil, grasshoppers, spiders, ticks, mites etc. In
most cases, the adult form of these insects is damaging in nature while
in other instances, the earlier stage like larvae can also destruct the
plants.
c. Weeds- A weed is an undesired plant which are dreadful pests because
they cause more losses than other pests. It leads to loss of nutrients,
water, light, space and also increase the cost of labour and equipment.
Some weeds cause allergies like hay fever caused by ragweed.

14. d. Non-insect pests- They are categorized into two classes:
▪ Vertebrates like rats, monkeys, birds, rabbits, squirrels etc.
▪ Invertebrates like nematodes, crabs, snails, mites etc.
Methods of Pest Control:
1. Mechanical Method- It employs manual labor along with different
devices for collection and destruction of pest.
▪ The simple techniques used are hand-picking, pruning, burning and
trapping of pests. A proper approach is made for collection and
destruction of eggs, larvae, pupae and adults of insects.
▪ The method adopted for trapping flying insects is flavored attractants
formulated with essential oils, mixed with saw dust in which insects can
easily enter but can not go out.

15. 2. Agricultural Method- It covers advanced plant breeding techniques
capable of inducing genetic manipulations resulting in production of
pest-resistant species.
▪ The insecticides developed are absorbed through the roots and reach the
leaves making the foliage portion distasteful to insects.
▪ If a plant turns out to be favourable by insects for food source, the land
under cultivation of such plant should be subjected for crop rotation.
▪ Another method for checking supply of food to insect is changing the
environment which may obstruct their life cycle. Proper drainage
services may also help serving this purpose.
3. Biological Method- This method is practiced by combating the pests,
mostly the insects with other living organisms .
▪ It may emerge as an effective safe and economic method of pest control.

16. 4. Chemical Method- The control of pests is brought by the use of
chemical pesticides which include rodenticides, insecticides,
fungicides, herbicides etc.
▪ Rodenticides: Warfarin, strychnine, arsenic trioxide, thallium
sulphate, red squill etc.
▪ Insecticides: D.D.T., gammaxine, methoxychlor, parathion,
malathion, sodium arsenate, pyrethroids, rotenoids, carbamates
etc.
▪ Acaricides (miticides): Tetradifon, chlorobenzolate
▪ Fungicides: Bordeaux mixture, chlorophenols, antibiotics,
quarternary ammonium compounds etc.
▪ Herbicides: 2, 4- dichlorophenoxy acetic acid, calcium arsenate,
sulphuric acid

17. An ideal insecticide should satisfy the following parameters:
i. Non-toxic and non-injurious to medicinal plants and
human beings.
ii. Selective in action and highly toxic even in small
concentrations.
iii. It should be stable under ordinary conditions of storage.
iv. It should not cause any residual effect on the surface on
which it is used.