Shatavari is known as the most innocent herb which contains wide range of benefits for human body. It derives its named “Shatavari” as a woman possessing hundred husbands. It is a rejuvenate herb and roots are used about 500tonnes in India every year for the production of medicines. Drugs prepared from Shatavari is used to treat gastric ulcers, dyspepsia and for nervous disorders. It is a shrub with average height of 1-3m with fascicle or clustered roots. Flowers are branched and are 3cm long. Perianth is white with good fragrance and 3mm long. Anthers are purple and berry is purple reddish in color. It is found in Africa, Sri Lanka, China, India and the Himalayas. In India it is found in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Punjab.

It is grown in variety of soils such as red loamy to clayey soil, black soil to laterite soil having good drainage system. It can also grow under rocky and shallow soils having soil depth not more than 20-30cm. It gives best result in sandy loam to medium black soil having good drainage system and pH ranging from 6-8 ranges best for plant growth.

Satavari (Asparagus racemosus): Found in Africa, China, Sri Lanka, India and the Himalayas. The height of plant is 1-3 m, flowers are 3 cm long and Perianth is 3 mm long.

Satavari (Asparagus sarmentosa Linn.): Found in Sutherland, Burchell and South Africa. The height of plant is 2-4 m long and perianth 1 inch long.

For Shatavari plantation, it requires sandy loam soil with drainage system. To bring soil to fine tilth, digging of land is to be done at the depth of 15cm. transplantation is done on raised beds.

Time of sowing
Transplanting of seedlings should be done in the month of June - July.   

Spacing
Depending upon its growth habit, use spacing of 4.5m x 1.2m and 20cm in height.

Method of Sowing
Crop is transplanted in field, when crop attain height of 45cm.

 

Seed Rate
For high yielding use seed rate of 400-600g per acre.  

Seed treatment
To protect crop from soil borne disease and pest, before sowing do seed treatment by soaking seeds in cow urine for 24 hours. After treatment seeds are sown in nursery beds.

Chemical treatment is given to the soil before sowing. Seeds are sown in the month of April. Sow Shatavari seeds on raised beds of 30-40 cm width and of convenient length. After sowing cover beds with thin cloth so as to retain moisture. Seedling germination starts within 8-10 days.
Seedlings are ready for transplanting when they attain the height of 45cm. The seedlings are transplanted at the ridges of 60 X 60cm.

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

At the time of land preparation, apply well decomposed FYM (Farm Yard Manure)@80q/acre and mix well in the soil. Apply fertilizer dose of N:P:K @24:32:40kg/acre in form of Urea@52, SSP@200 and MOP@66kg/acre.

To prevent plant from soil borne disease apply bio pesticides, Dhatura, Chitrakmool, Cow’s urine etc.                                         

Frequent weeding is required in early growth periods of the crop. 6-8 hand weeding are required for making field weed free.

First immediate irrigation should be done after planting the seedlings in the main field. Too much irrigation is not required to this crop. However in the starting irrigation is done at the interval of 4-6 days and then after sometime irrigation is done at weekly intervals. Irrigation must be done before the harvesting so that digging of roots become easier.

• Diseases and their control

Rust: Caused by Puccinia asparagi. The disease causes brown spots on the leaves and results in drying of leaves.

To get rid of this disease application of Bordeaux mixture@1% is done to control the disease.

The roots of plants get mature by 20-30 months after transplantation. Depending upon soil and climatic conditions roots get mature within 12-14 months. Harvesting is done in March – May month when seeds get ripen. Harvesting is done with the help of Kudali. For processing and medicine making fully ripe seeds are required.

After harvesting, peeling is done in boiled conditions. After peeling roots are air dried. Dried roots are packed in airtight bags for storage or transportation purposes. From ripen roots several products like powder, gulam and ghritam are made after processing.

1.Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana

2.Department of Agriculture

3.Indian Agricultural Research Instittute, New Delhi

4.Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research

5.Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare