Jatamansi (Nardostachys grandiflora DC)

Jatamansi (Nardostachys grandiflora DC)

Therapeutic uses

Jatamansi is a nervine tonic, hypotensive, antiseptic, stomachic, car- minative, tranquilizer, sedative, anti-bacterial, antispasmodic, and stimulant. It is useful in the treatment of insomnia, hysteria, convulsions, vertigo, and is also used as a cardiac tonic.

Morphological characteristics

Nardostachys species is an erect, hairy, perennial rooted herb, 10–60 cm high, with stout woody main root. Rootstock is thick, long, covered with remnants of petioles of withered leaves. Stems are generally pubescent upward, and glabrate below. Leaves are radical as well as cauline. Radical leaves are large (15–22 cm × 1.5–2.5 cm), six to eight in numbers, longi- tudinally nerved, slightly pubescent, and narrow down into the petiole, while cauline leaves are sessile, occur in two to three pairs, 2.0 cm × 0.6 cm in size, decrease in size from base to top, and are oblong or sub-ovate in shape. Rhizome is dark brown, tapering, and densely covered with the remains of old leaves’ bases, giving the appearance of a heavy beard,and hence the name jatamansi. The fibrous rhizome may be 6–9 cm long with about 20–30- cm-long yellowish taproot. A single root may bear 30–50 rhizomes.

Floral characteristics

Flowering shoot is 30–40 cm high and bears 40–50 flowers at summit in three to seven condensed cymes. Flowers are campanulate, pinkish red to bluish white. Corolla tube is 6 mm long and hairy. Fruit is covered with 4-mm-long hairs and crowned by the acute, often dentate, ca- lyx teeth. Flowering occurs from June to August, according to elevation, while fruiting occurs from September to October. Seeds are collected in October when they turn pale brown in colour.

Distribution

The species occurs in montane and sub-alpine zones of the Himalayas, from Kumaon to Sikkim, Nepal, and Bhutan, from 3000 m to 5000 m altitude in steep open areas. It is more frequent on the western aspects in alpines, on moist rocky and undisturbed slopes or on stones with coarse sandy loam soils, occurring usually in random forms.

Climate and Soil

The plant generally grows in steep hills with 40°–70° inclined slopes and is more frequent on open, stony, and grassy slopes. It is more abundant in the western cooler slopes. Usually it occurs on primary litter and soil de- posits as pioneer species. For the cultivation of Nardostachys jatamansi, loamy porous soil rich in organic matter like humus is considered the best. Thick humus layer promotes rapid growth and profuse branching.

Planting in the Field

Land preparation and Fertilizer application

For cultivation, land is pre- pared by digging or ploughing well, prior to summer season. Soil is tilled thoroughly and beds are left open for a week for solarization. After the land preparation, forest leaf litter/compost/FYM is added to the beds before seedlings or vegetative rhizomes are transplanted. Raised beds are found suitable for good biomass production at high altitudes. A minimum of about 40 quintals FYM/forest leaf litter as basal dose is required for the better growth of plants and good biomass production. Only well-decomposed FYM may be used if sufficient forest leaf litter is not available.

Transplanting and Optimum Spacing

The seedlings may be transplanted to the main field about 50–60 days after germination at a spacing of 20 cm × 20 cm or 20 cm × 30 cm. Manuring should be done about 15 days before the commencement of transplantation work. After manuring, hoeing and earthing-up may be carried out. In all, 0.2–0.25 million saplings are needed per hectare. There is considerable mortality during plantation and early growth (20%–30%). So additional nursery plants may be kept ready for filling gaps in the second year.

Intercropping System

The plant is grown as a mono crop, and intercropping practices have not been found suitable due to harvesting of roots and rhizomes; hence,intercropping is not recommended.

Interculture operations and Maintenance Practices

Manure or forest litter (60–80 quintals) is recommended for 1 hectare of land. Fifty per cent manure is used during the first year and rest is applied in two divided doses during the second and third years.

Irrigation Practices

Initially, watering should be done on alternate days at lower altitudes (2000 m) till proper rooting is developed. Later, watering is done at weekly intervals during dry season. Constant humidity should be maintained in the soil avoiding waterlogging.

Weed Control

Manual weeding is carried out (fortnightly) during early growth season, and later at monthly intervals or as and when required to keep the crop weed-free.

Disease and Pest Control

No diseases, insects, nematodes or physiological disorders have been observed in this crop.

Harvest Management

Crop Maturity and Harvesting

Maturity period of the plant depends on the propagules used. Plants raised through seeds may take three to four years to mature, while the plants raised through splitting of rhizomes mature in two to three years and are ready for harvesting earlier. To obtain good active chemical ingredients, plants must be collected after senescence in October.

Post-Harvest Management

After harvesting in October, the roots should be washed and well dried in shade to reduce their moisture content to 8%–10%. Dried material should be filled in jute bags or wooden boxes, which can be stored in dry godowns. During storage, hairs on root separate due to rubbing, and are often used as dhoop.

Chemical Constituents

The dried rhizomes are steam-distilled to yield 1.5%–1.9% of a pale yellow essential oil, commercially known as spikenard oil, emitting a pleasant odour.

Yield

At the site at an elevation of 3600 m, the recorded yield was 835 kg/hectare dry roots; plantation was raised through seedlings. At lower altitudes (2200 m), the re- corded yield was 670 kg/hectare dry weight after third year of cultivation; plantation was raised through seedlings. The yield may increase in subse- quent years if the plant is not harvested for one more year.



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