Registration of a new high yielding variety 'CIMAP-Pratap' of Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal] suitable for cultivation in drought prone areas of India.

摘要

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also known as Indian ginseng, is an important ancient medicinal plant, the roots of which have been employed in Indian traditional systems of medicine, Ayurveda and Unani. The estimated production of Ashwagandha roots in India is more than 1500 tonnes against an annual requirement of about 7000 tonnes, necessitating the need for increasing its cultivation and production. In our continued efforts towards developing high yielding varieties of medicinal and aromatic crops at CSIR-CIMAP, we have developed through half-sib selection approach a new improved variety of Withania sominfera which is idealy suitable for cultivation In drought prone areas of the country. The new variety, christen as cv. CIMAP-Pratap, is highly promising with a high dry root yield of 34.95 ql/ha, high total withanolide content of 0.31%, high fresh and dry leaf yields of 5.39 and 0.87 ql/ha and high witheferin-A content of 0.720% in the dry leaves. All these yield attributes showed a marked improvement when compared with 21.99 ql/ha dry root yield, 0.25% withanolide and 0.528% witheferin-A level of the best check variety cv. Poshita.