FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
Glory lily brings in good revenue for ryots
M.J. PRABU
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The plant is grown mainly for its seeds
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— Photo: TNAU
BLOOM TIME: The vines start flowering 50-55 days after planting.
GLORIOSA (GLORIOSA superba) is a medicinal plant variety, which is presently being cultivated in more than 2,000 acres in Tamil Nadu.
The plant is known as glory lily or flame lily in English, kazhappai kizhangu or Kandhal malar, in Tamil, Kalihari in Hindi, Tangi balli in Kannada, Manthori khizangu in Malayalam and Kalappa gadda in Telugu.
The plant is grown mainly for its seeds. Annually more than 400 tonnes of seeds are exported.
Areas of cultivation
The major areas cultivating this crop in Tamil Nadu are Moolanur, Markampatty, Oddanchatram, Porulur, Ambililikkai, Odaipatty, Dindigul and Attur districts.
It is found to grow well in red and loamy soils. The plant is a climber variety, with tall vines reaching a height of 3.5- 6 mts. The flowers are large, dark red in colour and single.
Ideal season
The ideal season for planting the crop in Tamil Nadu is during July-August. About 2.5 tonnes of healthy tubers are required for planting in one hectare, according to Prof. E. Vadivel, Dean, Horticulture College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore.
"The tubers must be dipped in a fungicide solution such as carbendazim 2 gm diluted in one litre of water for about 20 minutes before planting to prevent soft rot infestation," he said.
Before planting for one hectare, about 10 tonnes of farmyard manure, 2 kg of trichoderma viride and psuedomonas each (bio control agents) and one tonne of gypsum should be mixed into the soil.
Chemical fertilizers such as 50kg of urea, 20 kg of phosphorus and 30 kg of potash should also be applied and the field ploughed into furrows.
Light irrigation must be done and the tubers should be planted 6-8 cm apart on the furrows.
Irrigation must be done weekly once and later at fortnightly intervals. A second application of about 60 kg of potash must be done 6-8 weeks after planting the tubers. The vines start flowering 50-55 days after planting. "The flowers have to be artificially pollinated. The pollen dust is collected using a brush and dusted on the just opened flowers to ensure maximum seed set," said Prof. Rajamani, Assistant Professor, Medicinal Plant Unit, TNAU.
"The ideal time for pollinating the flowers is during 7-11AM," he said.
Harvesting time
The seeds can be harvested in about six months after planting. The seeds and the pericarp are separated manually and dried for 4-6 days under shade, explained Prof. Rajamani.
The plant is found susceptible to a variety of fungal infestations. Spraying carbendazim or aliette one gm diluted in one litre of water 3-4 times at weekly intervals can help control the infestation, according to Prof. Rajamani.
In the first year of planting, about 250 kg of seeds can be obtained from a hectare and during subsequent harvests 350 kg of seeds can be harvested, according to Prof. Vadivel.
The crop can be retained for up to three years for economical returns and thereafter requires replanting. "The seeds are sold at a rate of about Rs.400 per kg of dry seeds. Farmers could get a net income of about Rs.1,00,000 during the first year and Rs. 1,40,000 during the second year," said Prof. Rajamani.
For more information readers may contact the Medicinal Plants Unit, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore 641 003, Tamil Nadu, phone: 0422-5511365, email: herbs@tnau.ac.in
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