Ex-situ cultivation of medicinal plant species in high altitudes at Swat, Pakistan
Ex-situ cultivation of medicinal plant species in high altitudes at Swat, Pakistan
Kiramat Khan1, Tahir Sajjad2, Nasrullah Jan Malik2, Hassan Sher3, Farrukh Hussain4 and Muhammad Iqbal1
ABSTRACT
An ex-situ experiment was conducted to evaluate, the growth performance of six medicinal plant species (Bergenia ciliata, Crocus sativa, Dioscorea deltoidea, Paeonia emodi, Polygonum amplexicaule and Viola serpense) at four different locations in upper Swat valley during 2000-2001. The altitude of these locations ranged from 1200 to 1900 m.a.s.I. Suitability of ex-situ cultivation of these medicinal plant species and their economic feasibility was also worked out. The highest mean survival percentage of 80.7 across location -was observed for V. serpense followed by 58.7 % for C. sativa. All the remaining four species exhibited very poor survival percentage. Except for V. serpense which revealed a decrease in sprouting percentage with increase in altitude, all other species indicated a positive relationship with altitude. More or less an increased trend in flower yield with increasing altitude for C. sativa and V. serpense was also observed Cultivation of only two species, C. sativa and V. serpense, under farmland conditions at upper Swat appeared successful and economically viable.
Keywords: Ex-situ cultivation, Medicinal plant species, High altitudes, Bergenia ciliata, Crocus sativa, Dioscorea deltoidea, Paeonia emodi, Polygonum amplexicaule, Viola serpense.
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March 2004
Vol. 54, Iss. 1
