Method for maximization of artemisinin production by the plant artemisia annua

摘要

The invention provides a method for maximization of artemisinin yield of the plant Artemisia annua, said method comprising sowing seeds of Artemisia annua plant on raised bed nursery during second and third week of December and maintaining the moisture throughout; transplanting seedlings thus obtained bearing at least 5-15 leaves into the main field fertilized with fertilizer, preferably NPK @ 80,40,40 kg/ha to achieve a population density of 50,000 to 200,000 per ha followed by light irrigation in the second week of March and irrigation every fortnight thereafter; harvesting the crop four times by cutting the plant tops leaving 75-100 cm part of plant for further regeneration, the said harvests are performed in a manner that the first harvest is done in fourth week of May, second harvest in third week of July, third harvest in second week of September and fourth harvest in third week of October of each year; and at each harvesting time care is taken to care at least one green branch, and extracting artemisinin from the plant tissue immediately after each harvest.