Performance of climber type of medicinal plants in poplar based agroforestry system

Abstract

In order to evaluate the performance of medicinal climbers, in poplar based agroforestry system as an alternate crop in addition to traditional crops, a study was carried out. Three climber type medicinal plants viz., Asparagus racem osus (shatawari), Mucuna puririta (kwanch) and Tinospora cordifolia (giloe) were planted with poplar trees. Trees were planted at three spacing i.e. 5 × 4, 10 × 2, 18 × 2 × 2 m (paired row) and control and were thrice replicated. The medicinal climbers were planted near the poplar trees of two years age at 1 m distance from the tree trunks, in all the three spacing treatments with twenty trees in each replication. These were allowed/ aided to climb the trees, so that they do not require additional area for growing and replicated thrice in all the spacing’s of poplar. The annual crop (kwanch) had a very poor germination and later establishment under the tree canopies, however the other perennial type of medicinal crops i.e. giloe and shatawari grew significantly better (in terms of growth parameters such as plant height, collar diameter and number of branch etc.), in close spacing of poplar i.e. 5 × 4 and 10 × 2 m as compared to the wider spacing of 18 × 2 × 2 m and control. Yield of both (shatawari and giloe) was also maximum in 5 × 4 m spacing (5.2 kg/plant in shatawari, 55 kg/ plant in giloe) and decreased significantly in wider spacing and control, however in kwanch seed yield per ha was highest in control (155.3 t/ha) and it decreased with decreasing spacing of poplar. Quality parameters such the total bitter content for giloe, saponin content for shatawari and L-dopa content was more in 5 × 4 m spacing of poplar and decreased significantly in wider spacing’s and control.