Evaluation of growth and yield traits among Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata) germplasm under Jammu subtropics

Introduction

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is rich in flora and fauna and storehouse of many herbal species. The Jammu province is distinguished by its extensive variety of medicinal & aromatic plants, attributed to its diverse agroclimatic conditions ranging from subtropical to intermediate-temperate and cold arid zones. The region's agriculture is primarily characterized by smallholder farmers who face financial challenges, particularly in rainfed or Kandi areas. The geographical area of Jammu province is 26,293 sq. km, of which about 9.64% (2534.64 sq. km) is Kandi, including parts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Reasi and Udhampur districts. Medicinal and aromatic plants with low water and less fertile soil requirement can be boon for framers in rainfed/kandi areas. Andrographis paniculata is one among the species (Aloe barbandesis, Withania somnifera, Cassia fistula, Tinospora cordifolia Amaltas, Solanum nigrum etc.) which have low water requirement, can be grown on marginal lands, and thus is suitable for diversification in dryland farming. It is an herbaceous species belonging to family Acanthaceae and commonly known as Kalmegh, 'King of bitters', 'Green Chirayta', Kirayat, Bhui, Nimba, Nelaberu, Nila Vembu etc. (Maheshwari et al., 2004) [10] . This species is predominantly cultivated across Southern and Southeast Asia and is indigenous to India and Sri Lanka. Within India, its primary cultivation occurs in states such as Assam, Bihar, Kerala, and Karnataka. It holds significant value in both traditional medicinal systems, including Ayurveda and Unani, as well as in modern allopathic medicine. The therapeutic potential of this plant is primarily attributed to the presence of diterpene lactone called andrographolide in above ground herbage which is bitter in nature and another important constituent which is non-bitter compound called neo-andrographolide. These compounds possess antipyretic, hepatoprotective, hypoglycaemic, choleretic, antidiarrheal, immunostimulant, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antihypertensive, properties besides inhibitor against HIV (Raina et al., 2013) [12] . Panchang, referring to the stem, leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots of the plant, holds a significant place in Indian traditional medicine. It is utilized for its antioxidant, digestive, tonic, fever-reducing, and antifertility properties. Among medicinal plants, Kalmegh stands out as a key component in numerous polyherbal formulations playing a central role in over half of the herbal remedies available in India, particularly those used for treating liver dis. According to Balachandran and Govindarajan (2005) [1] , the herb is officially recognized in the Indian Pharmacopoeia and is listed as a primary ingredient in at least 26 Ayurvedic formulations, many of which are specifically used for the treatment of liver-related disorders. In recent years, kalmegh has drawn attention for its possible utility in mitigating health concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Research suggests that kalmegh extracts may improve immune responses and demonstrate antiviral properties, providing them potential options for aiding in the treatment of COVID-19 (Verma et al., 2021; Kumar et al., 2024) [15,7] . Kalmegh's effectiveness in enhancing immunity is due to its immunomodulatory characteristics, which may assist in relieving the effects of infections, particularly those induced by coronaviruses (Kumar et al., 2024) [7] . Research indicates that chemicals extracted from kalmegh could inhibit viral growth and reduce symptoms associated with infections (Verma et al., 2021; Satruhan & Patel, 2023) [15,13] . Kalmegh is recognized as a significant crop in rainfed agricultural systems due to its resilience in low-water conditions and adaptability to various climatic environments. It is particularly valued in sustainable agriculture for its medicinal properties, providing farmers with a reliable source of income while promoting soil biodiversity and health Yodphet et al. (2024) [16] . In the Kandi region of Jammu province, kalmegh, a dryland crop, can be a preferable choice for crop diversification. The study aimed to identify the promising genotypes among the existing population to increase its production vis-a-vis profitability to the grower.

Materials and Methods 1) Experimental site

The present study was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Division of Agroforestry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, located in Chatha, Jammu, within the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India (180009). The site lies in the subtropical zone of the Jammu region, situated at an altitude of 332 meters above mean sea level, with geographic coordinates of 32°40′ N latitude and 74°58′ E longitude.

2) Experimental material and design

The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisting of 14 accessions, each replicated three times. The experimental material included seeds of 14 distinct accessions, which were obtained from the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi, in April 2019.

3) Field preparation

The field was finely prepared, creating sunken beds measuring 1.0 m x 1.5 m. The seedlings were subsequently transplanted, maintaining a spacing of 30 cm by 45 cm, with each plot accommodating nine plants. For nursery beds, FYM at 20 kg m -2 was mixed as a basal dose with the soil. In the main field, FYM at 12.5 t ha -1 was applied as a basal treatment. Furthermore, chemical fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a ratio of 45:25:25 were applied. All cultural and plant protection practices were diligently followed from sowing until the harvesting of kalmegh

Results

Among the 14 accessions, wide variability was observed among all the traits (Table 1). IC-622552 recorded the highest significant value (64.76cm) for plant height which was followed by the accessions IC-622554 (60.27cm) and IC-622545 (59.47cm). Lowest plant height was recorded in IC-622544 (40.87cm). The higher values of number of branches per plant were also reported in the accession IC-622552 (17.26) followed by IC-622554 (16.74), while the minimum of branches was recorded in IC-622544 (8.99). The maximum number of leaves per plant was recorded in IC-622552 (445.49) followed by IC-622554 (424.34) and IC-622545 (414.56). However, minimum number of leaves per plant was registered in IC-622544 (262.84. Accession IC-622552 recorded the highest value (47.27 cm) for plant spread which was followed by IC-622554 (44.48cm). Minimum plant spread was observed in accession IC-622544 (27.54cm). Accession IC-622552 recorded the highest fresh herbage weight per plant (87.43g) which was followed by IC-622554 (77.64g), while the minimum fresh herbage yield was obtained in accession IC-622544 (45.04g). A perusal of data revealed that maximum fresh root weight per plant recorded in IC-622552 (8.54g) was followed by IC-622554 (7.59g) while the minimum was registered in IC-622544 (3.97g). The higher values of dry root weight per plant were recorded in IC-622552 (4.02g) while the minimum was observed in IC-622544 (1.82g). The higher values of fresh herbage weight per plant were also reported in the accession IC-622552 (87.43g) were significantly higher than other accessions, while the minimum was recorded in (8.99).

The maximum number of leaves per plant was recorded in IC-622552 (445.49). Dry herbage yield per plant recorded highest in accessions IC-622552 (42.41g) and IC-622554 (39.25g) while the lowest was observed in the accession IC-622544. Dry herbage yield per hectare in present study is in the range of 12.25-31.41 q ha-1, highest being recorded in accessions IC-622552 followed by IC-622554 while, the lowest in accessions IC-622544 (Table 2). Among the fourteen accessions evaluated, IC-622552 recorded the highest significant value (64.76 cm) for plant height which was followed by the accessions IC-622554 (60.27 cm) and IC-622545 (59.47 cm). Lowest plant height was recorded in IC-622544 (40.87 cm) (Fig. 1). Hemalatha and Suresh, (2012) [6] have also reported a similar range of plant height (56.54 cm-42.96 cm) in their study on kalmegh at Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam. The higher values of number of branches per plant were also reported in the accession IC-622552 (17.26) followed by IC-622554 (16.74), while the minimum of branches was recorded in (8.99). Number of branches per plant recorded are in line with experiment conducted at NDUAT, Faizabad where the maximum of 22.50 branches per plant and the minimum of 10.40 branches were recorded in the entry AICRP-MAPB-120-122 of kalmegh (DMAPR, 2013) [4] . The maximum number of leaves per plant was recorded in IC-622552 (445.49) followed by IC-622554 (424.34) and IC-622545 (414.56). However, minimum number of leaves per plant was registered in IC-622544 (262.84). These are in conformity with the early finding of Liphan and Detpirtmongkol (2017) [9] wherein, range of 469-212 leaves per plant was recorded in different genotypes of kalmegh. Lattoo et al. (2008) [8] also observed a range of 216.6-419 leaves per plant in kalmegh while screening different genotypes of kalmegh. 2. Accession IC-622552 recorded the highest value (47.27 cm) for plant spread which was followed by IC-622554 (44.48 cm). Minimum plant spread was observed in accession IC-622544 (27.54 cm) (Fig. 4). Semwal et al., (2016) [14] also recorded a similar observation on plant spread with the range of 47.10 cm to 38.40 cm in kalmegh while conducting experiment on different planting geometry. Similar result with highest value of plant spread with 47.23 cm and minimum value 38.63 cm was registered in experiment on genotypic evaluation of kalmegh at Faizabad (DMAPR, 2017) [5] . Accession IC-622552 recorded the highest fresh herbage weight per plant (87.43 g) which was followed by IC-622554 (77.64 g), while the minimum fresh herbage yield was obtained in accession IC-622544 (45.04 g). Dry herbage yield per plant recorded highest in accessions IC-622552 (42.41 g) and IC-622554 (39.25 g) while the lowest was observed in the accession IC-622544 (16.54 g). These result are in contradiction with the finding of Pandey and Mandal (2010) [11] who have reported lower range of fresh herbage weight per plant and dry herbage weight per plant of 64.80-58.30 g and 18.92-16.58 g, respectively. This may be due to climatic variation at two places. However, the fresh and dry herbage yield per plant recorded in the present study are in conformity with earlier reports of Lattoo et al., 2008 [8] ; DMAPR, 2013 [4] and Devi et al., 2017 [2] . 3. Dry herbage yield per hectare in present study is in the range of 12.25-31.41 q ha -1 , highest being recorded in accessions IC-622552 followed by IC-622554 while, the lowest in accessions IC-622544 (Fig. 5). The yield observed is within the range of 6.64-42.55 q ha -1 and is in line with reports by DMAPR, (2017) [5] ; Raina et al. (2013) [12] ; Hemalatha and Suresh (2012) [6] and DMAPR, (2012) [3] .

Conclusion

The comparative analysis of fourteen Kalmegh accessions under subtropical Jammu conditions provided valuable insights into their differential growth and yield performance. Dry herbage weight plant -1 , Fresh herbage weight plant -1 and plant spread varied from 42.41-16.54 g, 87.43-45.04 g and 47.27-27.54 cm, respectively. Higher dry herbage yield per hectare (q) was observed in accession IC-622552 (31.41 q ha -1 ) and IC-622554 (29.07 q ha -1 ). These two accessions stand out as superior performers with strong potential for cultivation in rainfed marginal lands, offering valuable options for enhancing medicinal plant production in the region.

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