Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub plant. This is a well-known herbal plant used in the system of medicine called Ayurveda. Ashwagandha’s scientific name is Withania somnifera. This herbal plant is also called Indian Ginseng or Winter cherry.
Ashwagandha: Overview
The Ashwagandha plant is a medicinal herb widely used for medicinal purposes mostly in Ayurvedic Medicines. The plant’s origins are from India and the Middle East. This also grows in some parts of Africa. From 3,000 years ago it has started including in the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines.
Ayurvedic Practitioner says that it has qualities which improve the overall health. This has started being used in Ayurvedic medicine preparation thousands of years ago.
Clinical trials say that this helps to reduce anxiety and stress. It also improves sexual performance and reduces inflammation in both men and women. India exports ashwagandha extracts and medicine to the United States as well.
Ashwagandha Plant
This is an erect, branching undershrub that reaches about 1.50 m in height. It’s a drought-resistant species with enormous nutrients. It contains green leaves with small yellow flowers and red berries. It grows mainly in dry, sub-tropical regions.
Ashwagandha Producing States
This grows very well in states like Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh cultivates ashwagandha on more than 5000 hectares of land.
How to grow Ashwagandha
This is an ayurvedic herb plant mostly propagated from seeds. First, you plant fresh seeds in nursery beds that are well-prepared. Ashwagandha can be planted from the seeds in the main field in two ways.
Farmers can scatter them evenly all over the field (broadcast method). Using young plants from the nursery to plant them carefully in the field is called the transplanting method.
- Nursery Preparation: To cultivate Ashwagandha on a one-acre main field, we typically need to plant almost 10 kilograms of seeds. Prepare the nursery in June and July. During this period, treat the seeds with carbendazim to prevent wilt and seed-borne diseases. The seeds will germinate within 5 to 7 days, When it’s around 35 days old then transplant it into the main fields.
- Soil: It thrives when cultivated in sandy loam or light red soil. The favorable pH of the soil lies between 7.5 and 8.0 with good drainage. Black soil or heavy soil is suitable for enhanced cultivation. While sowing the seeds, lightly cover them with sandy soil.
- Climate: The farmers grow this plant after the rainy season. It falls under the Kharif crop variety. It grows very well in semi-tropical areas, where the rainfall is around 500 to 750 mm. It is suitable for cultivation as a rainfed crop. Winter rains mostly affect its root growth. Plant the seeds during the dry season because that’s when the plants grow well.
- Temperature: Ashwagandha has thermo-tolerance qualities. It grows at a temperature between 200 °C and 380 °C and has low temperatures up to 100°C.
The Field Preparation
- Ploughing: Plough the land two to three times.
- Discing: After plowing, use a machine called a disc to break up any big clumps of soil, and it will make it even smoother.
- Harrowing: This is another step to make the soil nice and soft.
- Manure: This process helps the plants grow well, up to 10 to 20 tons, with the use of farmyard manure.
- Leveling: Digging and spreading the land are essential. This helps to make the land even and flat so that planting becomes much easier.
- Transplanting: After including fertilizers in the soil, they transplant the plants, preparing ridges at a 60-cm spacing. You should plant healthy seedlings with a 30 cm gap between them. The best way to plant them is with a 60 cm by 30 cm gap, which gives around 55,000 seedlings per hectare.
- Seed treatment: It’s a good way to use Thirum or Dithane M45 (Inofil M45) to protect against diseases. Which is at a rate of 3 grams per kilogram of seeds before planting.
- Thinning: After seedlings have grown, carefully plant them by scattering them in rows. Thinning is the process of pulling out by hand about 25 to 30 days after sowing. This helps to maintain a plant population of approximately 30 to 60 plants per square meter.
- Weeding: Farmers need to remove weeds from the field twice. Within 20–25 days of planting, repeat the process after the first weeding.
- Fertilizers: Ashwagandha does not require heavy doses of fertilizer. This crop does well with natural fertilizers. For growing the plants, use 10 tons of farmyard manure (FYM), which is almost 1 ton of vermicompost per hectare of land. To improve crop yields, it is necessary to apply 15 kg of nitrogen along with 15 kg of phosphorus.
- Irrigation: Excessive water supply is harmful to Ashwagandha plants. Giving the seedlings water right after planting helps them settle in better. Providing drip irrigation will do wonders. It requires water only once every 10 days.
- Pest control: There is no serious pest affected by this crop. To protect plants from any pest attacks, one should use Fostion MM pesticides with a concentration of 0.6%. There are several pests, like aphids, mites, and other insects, that will destroy the plants. Farmers should use a mix of 0.5% carbophos and 0.1% and 0.3% dicofol to spray every 10 to 15 days.
- Disease protection: Diseases like seedling rot will be a problem in hot and humid conditions. To prevent diseases in plants, use seeds that are free from disease. Treat the seeds with carbofuran at a rate of 4-5 kg per acre before planting. Applying neem cake to plants will provide further protection.
- Harvesting: The plants blossom and the bearing of fruits starts in December. Harvesting Ashwagandha’s roots will start by digging them from January to March. Harvesting happens after 150 to 180 days of sowing of seeds.
- Yield: In commercial production on one acre of land, farmers can grow about 600 to 1000 kilograms of dry roots. Farmers used to collect almost 100 to 150 kilograms of seeds. In the best conditions, the maximum yield can go up to 13 to 14 quintals per acre.
- Marketing: Ashwagandha is quite famous in the markets of Madhya Pradesh. Some importers buy within the country.
Material Cost of Ashwagandha Farming
| Material Cost | Rupees |
|---|---|
| Seeds | 400 |
| FYM | 3100 |
| Fertilizers | 550 |
| Seed treatment chemicals | 400 |
| Plant protection chemicals, neem cake | 600 |
| Total Cost | 5050 |
Source: TNAU AgriTech Portal
Labor cost Ashwagandha Farming in 1 acre
| Labor Cost | Rupees |
|---|---|
| Land Preparation | 4000 |
| Nursery bed preparation, raising preparation | 700 |
| Transplanting | 3400 |
| Application of manures and fertilizers | 400 |
| Spraying of Plant Protection chemicals | 340 |
| Irrigation | 1300 |
| Intercultural | 1180 |
| Harvesting berries, crushing to take out seeds, digging roots, washing, cutting into pieces, drying berries and roots, grading, storing, packing | 7300 |
| Total | 18620(18620+5050) |
| Grand Total | 23670 |
Source: TNAU AgriTech Portal
Ashwagandha: Health benefits, side effects and its uses
India has a rich culture of herbal remedies, natural remedies, and traditional medicine. Ashwagandha is a unique herbal plant that has got the attention of health enthusiasts worldwide. This is very popular for reducing stress and anxiety. It lowers the production of cortisol levels in the body.
The continuous use of Ashwagandha reduces oxidative stress, enhances brain function, and provides improved sleep quality in people. Clinical study suggests that ashwagandha stimulates sleep in the body.
Most People use Ashwagandha root extract to improve their lifestyle. It is a great solution for various health issues. It might lower blood sugar levels.
Ashwagandha uses
Consumption of ashwagandha removes stress and anxiety from the body. The consumption of Ashwagandha powder and Ashwagandha capsules will increase the immune system and physical performance.
People use Ashwagandha in the form of powder, tablets, capsules, churn, and even as a plant. Including Ashwagandha tablets in the daily diet will lead to a healthy lifestyle.
Ashwagandha Benefits for Men
Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal plant. Traditional medicines like Ayurveda use this plant.People have used the plant’s roots for their potential therapeutic properties in traditional and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Men should include Ashwagandha in their daily diet; it helps reduce stress hormones. Ashwagandha includes adaptogens, which improve sleep and sexual performance. This improves physical and mental health while relieving stress in the body.
Effect of Ashwagandha on Health
People widely use this in Ayurveda and Unani medicines because it’s a great evergreen shrub with medicinal properties. It offers numerous health benefits. People commonly use dry roots to prepare Ayurvedic medicines, and it improves health conditions.
Helping to alleviate symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and low energy levels. It contains elements called adaptogens, and it regulates stress in the body. This is the main reason for thyroid problems. It also increases cognitive functioning in the body.
Dose of Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha plant roots and leaves contain 0.13 to 0.51% alkaloids. Major alkaloids are withanine (sedative), bethenene, withaferin (antitumor), withaferin-A (anti-bacterial), somnine, choline, nicotine, and somniferin.
It has certain nutritious elements like glycosides and vitamins, which are good for health. Along with starch, sugar, and amino acids in Ashwagandha’s extract
Ashwagandha products and their uses:
The health benefits of Ashwagandha powder are the main reason for its wide usage.
- Ashwagandha Powder: To gain extra health benefits, people consume it with hot water.
- Ashwagandha Tablets benefits: People who prefer a more convenient option can use Ashwagandha in tablet and capsule forms.
- Ashwagandha Churna: Ashwagandha churna is a finely powdered form. This is a health supplement that boosts the immune system.
- Ashwagandha Oil: It has potential benefits for the skin and hair. It’s advisable to consult with a doctor for precise dosages.
- Thyroid condition or thyroid hormone: It has emerged as a potential natural remedy for thyroid imbalances. A study suggests that it may help support thyroid function. It especially improves hypothyroidism and an underactive thyroid. This increases the production of thyroid hormones. It helps to alleviate symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and low energy levels.
- Ashwagandha might lower blood sugar levels: The use of Ashwagandha helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels in individuals. It’s a great aspect of including ashwagandha in your diet. Especially for individuals who are dealing with diabetes. A recent study suggests that it has great potential for regulating blood sugar levels in the body.
- Ashwagandha root extracts: The root extracts are popular for their great healing powers. Herbal supplements widely use their root extracts for medicine preparations. There are several beneficial bioactive elements found in the root parts. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-analgesic properties as well.
- Central nervous system: Ashwagandha has a major influence on the central nervous system of the body. It promotes the overall mental health and wellness of a person. This consists of an element called Adaptogen, which helps to adapt stress levels in the body.
- Reduce anxiety: This helps to release stress and regain balance in the body. This significantly lowers the symptoms of anxiety hormones like cortisol. This helps to reduce stress hormones in the body.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is an autoimmune disorder followed by painful joint inflammation in our body. This has anti-inflammatory properties which can lower the symptoms of this health condition. Ashwagandha is efficient in providing relief from joint pain in the body parts.
Ashwagandha side effects
According to the Ayurvedic healers, consuming Ashwagandha is safe for your health. But there are some exceptional cases where some people might feel mild side effects, including stomach problems like diarrhea. This is essential to note while consuming this herbal medicine. Some people, like Pregnant women, should avoid consuming this without Doctor’s advice.
Ashwagandha Price
According to the production cost of Ashwagandha, there is a chance to vary the price of this herb from place to place.
Ashwagandha supplements:
Including Ashwagandha in your daily routine is easy. These supplements come in various forms, including capsules, and powders, making it convenient for individuals seeking their benefits.
Ashwagandha for Double blind placebo controlled situations:
The double-blind placebo-controlled studies on Ashwagandha have demonstrated its potential to reduce anxiety significantly. By modulating the body’s stress response, Ashwagandha helps individuals feel calmer and more composed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ashwagandha is often referred to as the ‘King of herbs’ in Ayurvedic medicine. This is a remarkable, versatile natural remedy used for improving sleep, improving brain health.
Including this herbal remedy in your daily diet will improve overall well-being of health.
I hope you enjoyed reading the blog Ashwagandha from Zetta Farms!
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Ashwagandha a good Ayurvedic herb for the brain?
Ans: It’s an amazing Ayurvedic medicine for brain health. It is believed to improve brain health and lower the chance of anxiety.
2. What are the benefits of Ashwagandha for female health?
Ans: It’s believed to have effects on female health, which include reducing stress levels, hormone balance, and fertility support. It also improves energy levels and provides relief from the menopause period.
3. What are the benefits and side effects of Ashwagandha?
Ans: The benefits of Ashwagandha are stress reduction, Improved sleep, and improved cognitive function. The side effects of Ashwagandha are, it could lower blood pressure, and upset the stomach, and in some people, it might cause allergies.
4. What are the proven benefits of Ashwagandha?
Ans: It reduces stress, improves sleep, enhances memory, and promotes cognitive functions. It has anti-inflammatory properties. It might improve energy levels, and vitality and reduce fatigue. It has adaptogens, helps the body to adapt various stress hormones, and promotes overall well-being.
