Production techniques for the cultivation of safed musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum)

Abstract

SummaryChlorophytum borivilianum (family Liliaceae) is a high-value medicinal plant becoming rare because it is harvested fromthe wild. To encourage its adoption as a crop plant, propagation and cultural methods were investigated under semi-arid tropic conditions of Hyderabad, India. Single tubers will sprout if attached to a portion of crown, and yields of fresh tuber and musli (the peeled and dried end-product) were improved by increasing the planting weight of tubers to 12.5.g per unit. Further, at this unit weight of planting material, the tuber multiplication ratio (ratio between fresh tuber yield andweight of planting material, 4.63) and musli-fresh tuber ratio (0.17) were highest. Yields were also increased by farmyardmanure (FYM) at 40.t ha-1 because of significant improvements in number, length and thickness of tuber and musli-fresh tuber ratio. Plant size and yields of fresh tuber and musli were greater in a potexperiment with up to 25.mg N kg-l of soil. Pinching of inflorescences increased leaf (18%) and tuber lengths (32%) and the yields of fresh tubers (22%) and musli (30%).