Coleus: A Profitable Medicinal Crop for Commercial Cultivation

Abstract

Coleus is an import tuberous medicinal plant. Forskolin is abundant in tubers of coleus which are used for the curing of eczema (atopic dermatitis), asthma, psoriasis, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. This is commercially cultivated in South India under contract farming system. The non adoption of cultural practices leads to poor tuber yield especially on the management of wilt and nematode complex causes greater loss to the farmers. Hence, treating the planting materials with proper biocontrol agents, adoption of ideal plant populations under drip irrigation system favours profitable yield of the crop.