Species

Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn.

Family
Euphorbiaceae
English Name
Phyllanthus
Malayalam Name
Keezhanelli, Kizhakkainelli
Tamil Name
Keezhanelli
Kannada Name
Kiru nelli, Nela nelli
Telugu Name
Kiru nelli, Nela nelli
Hindi Name
Jangli amli, Jaramla
Sanskrit Name
Bahupatra, Bhumi amalaki
Trade Name
Bhumi amla, Phyllanthus
Part Used
Whole plant
In Wild
NA
Under Cultivation
NA
Temperature
NA
Rainfall
NA
Farmers
NA
Traders
NA
Institution
NA
Individually
NA
State/Region
NA
District
NA
Nursery Information
NA
Yield
Approximately 2-3 tonnes of bio mass/hectare on drying.
Economic of cultivation
Cost of cultivation: ? 10,000 per hectare. Market price: Whole plant - ? 50/kg. (as on June 2019)
Quantitative quality standards
1. Foreign matter: Not more than 2.0 per cent 2. Ash: Not more than 12.5 per cent 3. Acid-insoluble ash: Not more than 6.0 per cent 4. Ethanol-soluble extractive: Not less than 6.0 per cent 5. Water-soluble extractive: Not less than 9.0 per cent
Description
Erect herbs to 30 cm tall. Leaves simple, 6-8 x 3-4 mm, oblong, apex obtuse to acute, base unequal sided, lower surface glaucous; stipules lanceolate, scarious. Male flowers towards tip of branchlets, solitary, axillary; tepals 5, ovate; stamens 3, exserted. Female flowers c. 1.5 mm across; tepals 5, oblong; ovary globose. Capsule c. 2 mm across, globose; seeds 6, trigonous, vertically muriculate.
Agro technology/Cultivation practices
It grows well as a rain-fed crop under semi temperate to tropical conditions at up to 800 m altitude and tolerates water logging. Plant growth is restricted under shade. The plant is well adapted to calcareous, well drained sandy loamy/black soil with pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Cultivation 1. Planting stock production: P. amarus is propagated through seeds. Direct seeding results in poor stands and therefore, seeds are sown in April- May in nursery beds mixed with farmyard manure. Germination of freshly collected seeds is slower than older seeds. Soaking the seeds in fresh water for 20-30 minutes before sowing or treatment with Giberllic Acid 200 ppm for 6 hours would help in increased germination. Adequate moisture is maintained until seedlings are ready for planting. For a hectare, 1 kg seeds are sufficient. The seeds germinate in about a week and are maintained up to 20 days. 2. Field planting: Plough the land twice or thrice and level the top soil, Seedlings that are 3-4 week old and 10-15 cm tall are transplanted at 15-25 x 10-20 cm spacing during the rainy season. A proper irrigation just after transplanting ensures establishment of seedlings. 3. Manuring: For good vegetative growth farmyard manure is applied based on soil analysis during land preparation. 4. Weeding: The crop needs hand weeding at 30 and 60 days interval after planting. 5. Irrigation: Irrigation is required during dry season if monsoon rains is scanty. Sprinkler irrigation required once in every 10-15 days. 6. Pests and Diseases: Powdery mildew disease occurs during rainy season. This is controlled by spraying biopesticides like Azadirachtin, Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas chlororaphis etc
Harversting
The crop matures in 80-90 days and can be harvested. The plant has maximum active chemical ingredients during fruiting. However, seeds collection is done after 110-120 days old crop. Plants in September will contain highest amount of leaves and is the suitable time for harvesting. Whole plant is pulled manually and shade dried.
Processing
The shade dried herb is stored in polythene lined gunny bags at cool, well ventilated godowns.
References
NA