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Scheme to cultivate medicinal plants

KOCHI: A programme for cultivation of medicinal plants as intercrop in coconut farms has been taken up at eight panchayats in central Kerala covering an effective area of 325 hectares, benefiting about 2,000 farm-households.

The scheme will prevent erosion of biodiversity and deterioration of soil fertility which are the main factors that affect the productive capacity of the soil resource.

The spread of diverse species of trees over a large area can minimise the hazards of soil and water erosion, conserve the ecological base of farming, improve the quality of local environment and strengthen biodiversity.

The system can also function as an effective sink for carbon dioxide and many air pollutants, both gases and particulates.

Healthy and vigorously growing trees are known to assimilate 6.75 tonnes of carbon in the tree parts and add 0.5 tonne of carbon to the soil carbon stock per hectare per year, according to P.K. Thampan, president of Peekay Tree Crops Development Foundation, the Kochi-based NGO involved in the project.

A fully grown tree population in 325 hectares of coconut holdings can store 2,194 tonnes of carbon in their biomass and cause accumulation of 163 tonnes of carbon to the soil carbon stock annually until they attain maturity, he says.

Apart from the protective benefits bestowed on the local community, the tree cropping models will also render productive benefits to the families of the farmers by creating multiple sources of food, income and employment.

With 325 hectares under medicinal tree species in a contiguous belt, the project area will slowly emerge as a dependable source of raw material for the flourishing Ayurveda medical system.

In all, the eight panchayats, community nurseries under the aegis of women’s groups and farmers’ organisations have been raised to produce planting material of tree species selected for the multi-species cropping system.

The total requirement of planting material is 50,000 to cover the targeted area, he says.

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