Coconut Garden - A Platform for Herbal Renaissance
C. Sudhalakshmi*
Dept. of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Coconut Research Station, Aliyar Nagar, Tamil Nadu (642 101), India
D. Rajakumar
Dept. of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Coconut Research Station, Aliyar Nagar, Tamil Nadu (642 101), India
C. Ushamalini
Dept. of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Coconut Research Station, Aliyar Nagar, Tamil Nadu (642 101), India
B. Meena
Dept. of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Coconut Research Station, Aliyar Nagar, Tamil Nadu (642 101), India
DOI: NIL
Keywords: Coconut, Herbal Renaissance, Intercropping, Medicinal Plants
Abstract
Synthetic drugs gaining entry into the human systems through various channels for treating ailment, infertility, beauty care, etc., leave their deadly imprints in the name of side effects and today medicinal plants are staging a comeback in the form of “Herbal Renaissance” to shield the humanity with safety and security. In the recent past, high market fluctuations of copra price along with emerging pests and diseases has forced the farming community to think of synergistic intercrops like cocoa, nutmeg, pepper, arecanut, acid lime, guava etc., in coconut gardens. Unequivocally medicinal plants offer good scope for increasing the on-farm productivity and income of coconut growers besides restoring the traditional wisdom about alternative medicine which has slowly eroded in the plight of fast acting synthetic drugs. Eclipta alba, Centella asiatica, Andrographis paniculata, Solanum surattense, Phyllanthus amarus, Swertia chirata, Hemedesmus indicus, Pluchea lanceolata Withania somnifera and Alpinia galangal are the medicinal plants suitable for intercropping in coconut gardens.
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Reference
Mohandas, S., 2011. Prospects of Intercropping Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Coconut Garden. Madras Agric. J. 98(1-3), 82-83.