Effect of Varying Levels of Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Growth and Yield of the Medicinal Plant, Alpinia Galanga Willd

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Effect of varying levels of nitrogen and phosphorus on growth and yield of the medicinal plant, Alpinia galanga Willd.

S Hussain, A Sharma, P K Singh and D K Hore* NBPGR Regional Station, Umroi Road, Umiam, Meghalaya-793 103, India *Correspondent author, E-mail: nbpgrshl@neline Received 31 May 2005; Accepted 18 November 2005 Abstract Jantan et al3 reported that the An experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2000 and 2001 to study the rhizome oil of the plant from Malaysia is response of Alpinia galanga Willd. to nitrogen and phosphorus in upland terraces under mid rich in 1,8-cineole (40.5%). Other altitude conditions of Meghalaya. The results indicated that increasing levels of nitrogen and compounds, present in appreciable phosphorus application significantly increased fresh rhizome yield up to 100 Kg N/ha and 80 Kg amounts in oil are the sesquiterpenoids, P2O5/ha. Thereafter, non significant effects were noticed. Application of 100 Kg N/ha has also resulted in highest oil content (0.37%), which was at par with oil contents observed from the β-bisabolene (8.4%), (Z, E)-farnesol (3.8%), -caryophyllene (3.0%) and (E)- application of 80 Kg P2O5/ha (0.34%) and 120 Kg P2O5/ha (0.36%). The interaction effects were β significant for plant height and fresh rhizome yield, recording highest values at 150 Kg N and 120 β-farnesene (3.2%). The oils possess Kg P O /ha. These values were at par with the values obtained from the application of 100 Kg N/ ha 2 5 compositional differences, suggesting the and 80 Kg P O / ha for these two characters. 2 5 existence of chemical varieties within this Keywords : Medicinal plant, Alpinia galanga, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Interaction effects, species. The oil from Indonesia contains Galangal oil. chiefly monoterpenoids, while the 7 IPC code; Int. cl. — A01G 1/00, A61K 35/78, C11B 9/00 Malaysian oil is characterized by its richness in sesquiterpenoids4, 5. Myrcene Introduction have been used as flavours in native has been reported to be the major dishes and as ingredients in many constituent in the rhizome (94.5%) and Alpinia galanga Willd. traditional medicines to treat various leaves (52.3%) of an Indian variety6. commonly called Greater Galangal (Hindi ailments. It is aromatic, pungent and Systematic cultivation of — Kulanjan) is a rhizomatous herb bitter in taste and is used against number medicinal plants needs specific cultural distributed in various parts of India and of ailments including rheumatism, and management practices and throughout Southeast Asia. It is an stomach and important medicinal plant belonging to bronchial the family Zingiberaceae. It is widely disorders and as cultivated in small garden plots in rather a tonic2. The wet ground in Malaysia, India, Indochina, rhizome yields Indonesia and the Philippines1. In India, an essential the species is found in the tropical forest oil, called edges of southern and northeastern parts Galangal oil of the country. It is cultivated in Kerala which possesses and grown in kitchen garden in some marked places of northeastern region of India, insecticidal particularly in Manipur. The rhizomes properties. Rhizomes of Alpinia galanga

120 Natural Product Radiance Green Page: Research Article agronomical recommendations. These are conditions and located at 25º30′ N specific to the species/genotype and latitude and 91º51′E longitude. The soil depend on soil, water and climatic of the experimental plot was sandy loam conditions. Hence, research and having pH 4.2, organic carbon 2.7 %, low development work has to be done to in available N, P and K (120, 7.6 and 180 formulate appropriate agricultural Kg/ha, respectively). The total rainfall practices including propagation methods, during the cropping season in 2000 was cultivation techniques, harvesting, and 2632 mm and in 2001 it was step-wise quality control of raw materials 2895 mm. up to the processing stage, post harvest FYM and lime @5 tonnes/ha and treatments and storage. Application of Uprooted hill of Alpinia galanga 2 tonnes/ha, respectively were applied to optimum dose of both organic and the experimental field and were inorganic fertilizers being one of the most some pertinent research findings together incorporated into the soil 15 days before important cultural practices needs to be with some related species are reviewed planting. Treatment combinations of four standardized. Among the essential here. nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 KgN/ nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus play ha) and four phosphorus levels (0, 40, Materials and Methods an important role in the growth and 80 and 120Kg P2O5/ ha) were arranged in rhizome yield of this crop. The present a 24 Factorial Randomized Block Design investigation was, therefore, undertaken The experiment was conducted (RBD) with three replications. Each plot to study the response of A. galanga to during kharif season of 2000 and 2001 of 3.0m × 2.7m size consisted of nine nitrogen and phosphorus on growth and in upland terraces of the experimental rows, each of 3m length with a spacing of yield. Although, lot of work has been done farm of the National Bureau of Plant 30cm × 30cm, was designed for the on standardization of package of practices Genetic Resources Regional Station, experiment. on other crops, it is almost nil in this Umiam, Meghalaya. The experimental site The rhizomes of about 40-60g potential medicinal plant species. Hence, falls under the mid altitude (1000m) weight were treated with fungicide (Vitavex @ 8g/Kg) and then sown in rows on 8th May in both the years. Full dose of phosphorus as per treatment and a

common dose of potash (60 Kg K2O/ha) were applied through SSP and MOP as basal dose. As per treatment half of the nitrogen was applied as basal dose. Remaining half was top-dressed in two equal splits, one at 30 days after sowing and the other at 60 days after sowing. The crop was harvested in the second year i.e., on 27th April of 2001 and 2002. Ten plants from each plot were randomly selected for recording data. Observations were recorded on six characters (Table 1) including yield per plot and oil content. Yield per plot was later on converted into Alpinia galanga crop yield per hectare (tonnes/ha).

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Table 1 : Growth and yield parameters of Alpinia galanga in response to nitrogen and phosphorus doses (Pooled mean over two-year)

Treatments Growth parameters Yield parameters Plant height No. of tillers No. of leaves Fresh rhizome Fresh rhizome Oil content (%) Oil yield (cm) per clump per tiller wt./plant (g) yield (tonnes/ ha) (Kg/ha) A) Nitrogen doses (Kg/ ha)

N0 76.27 6.42 10.56 200.88 11.62 0.32 37.18

N50 81.41 8.03 12.89 282.66 18.86 0.35 66.01

N100 88.89 8.35 11.87 346.38 23.07 0.37 85.36

N150 93.90 8.87 13.72 350.42 23.63 0.35 82.71 SE (d) ± 5.13 0.74 1.27 6.19 1.10 0.04 11.07 CD 5% 10.47 1.51 2.59 12.64 2.25 0.08 22.61 B) Phosphorus doses (Kg/ ha)

P0 81.72 7.18 11.59 244.68 15.30 0.34 52.02

P40 83.71 7.37 11.44 294.63 19.12 0.35 66.92

P80 86.42 9.09 13.08 316.27 21.09 0.34 71.71

P120 88.58 8.03 12.52 324.77 21.67 0.36 78.01 SE (d) ± 5.13 0.74 1.27 6.19 1.10 0.04 5.54 CD 5% NS 1.51 2.59 12.64 2.25 0.08 11.31 NS= Non significant

The oil content was determined percent on volume/weight basis. Pooled significant increase in rhizome yield due through hydro-distillation by adopting analysis of two-year data was made as per to increased level of nitrogen up to 100 Clevenger trap method7. The powdered standard procedures8. KgN/ha in ginger. Application of 100 Kg material (80g) was taken in a 250 ml N/ha produced highest rhizome yield in beaker and about 200 ml of water was Results and Discussion ginger in the high rainfall areas where the added to it and stirred well using an soil is acidic and sloppy10. Singh et al 11 electric stirrer for five minutes. The stirred Response to nitrogen also reported that application of 100KgN/ material was immediately transferred to ha gave the maximum growth and yield the distillation flask and water was added Increasing levels of nitrogen of ginger under medium soil fertility to fill up to the half of the volume of the application significantly increased plant condition of Jabalpur. The present flask and mixed well. Glass beads were height, number of tillers per clump and investigation also showed that application added to prevent frothing. The distillation number of leaves per tiller up to 150 KgN/ of 100 KgN/ha resulted in maximum flask was connected to the condenser ha but it was at par with that for 100 Kg percentage of oil content (0.37 %) through the calibrated oil trap. N/ha (Table 1). Similarly, the rhizome coupled with maximum oil yield (85.359 Distillation was carried out over a heating yield significantly increased with the Kg/ha). mantle for a period of two hours. When increased levels of nitrogen application the oil level inside the trap remained up to 150 Kg/ha which was at par with Response to phosphorus constant, the apparatus was cooled to that resulted from the application of 100 room temperature and was allowed to KgN/ha. This may be due to the fact that All the parameters under study stand until the oil layer was clear. The proper plant growth and development except number of tillers per clump and volume of the oil collected was recorded contributed to higher rhizome yield per number of leaves per tiller were found to and the oil content was expressed in plant. Thakur and Sharma9 also reported increase with the increased levels of

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Table 2 : Interaction effects of nitrogen and phosphorus 2. Perry LM, Medicinal Plants of East and (Kg/ha) on growth and yield of Alpinia galanga Southeast Asia, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 1980, pp. 436-444. Treatments N N N N 0 50 100 150 3. Jantan I, Ahmed F and Ahmed AS, Constituents Plant Height (cm) of the rhizome and seed oils of greater galangal P 72.37 77.93 83.26 93.03 Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd. from Malaysia, 0 J Essent Oil Res, May/June 2004. P40 75.30 81.77 85.83 91.93 P 78.43 83.06 92.03 92.13 80 4. De Pooler HL, Omar MN, Coolsaet BA and P 79.00 82.88 94.23 98.23 120 Schamp NM, The essential oil of greater SE (d) ± galangal (Alpinia galanga) from Malaysia, SE: 10.26 CD 5%: 20.95 Phytochemistry, 1985, 24, 93-96. Fresh Rhizome Yield (tonnes/ ha) 5. Scheffer JJC, Gani A and Baerheim-Svendsen P0 9.90 12.91 18.33 20.08 A, Monoterpenes in the essential rhizome oil P40 11.45 17.67 23.69 23.67 of Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd., Sci P80 12.50 22.05 24.72 25.10 Pharm, 1981, 49, 337-346. P120 12.66 22.79 25.55 25.68 SE (d) ± SE: 2.21 CD 5%: 4.51 6. Charles DJ, Simon J E and Singh N K, The essential oil of Alpinia galanga Willd., J Essent Oil Res, 1999, 11, 719-723. phosphorus application (Table 1). differences between the plant height Number of tillers per clump and number obtained from the treatment combination 7. Dickson C, Volatile oil determination of of leaves per tiller were increased of 150KgN/ha along with 120KgP O /ha Peppermint and Sassafras bark. Medicinal 2 5 Chemistry Laboratory Manual, CRC Press, significantly only up to 80Kg P2O5/ha and 100 KgN/ha in the presence of 80 Kg Boca Raton London, New York Washington, application. Plant height and rhizome P2O5/ha were not significant (Table 2). DC, 1998, pp. 159-163, yield (tonnes/ha) recorded from the Similarly, 150 KgN/ha along with 120 Kg treatment with 80 Kg P O /ha were at par P O /ha resulted in the maximum fresh 8. Singh RK and Choudhury BD, Biometrical 2 5 2 5 Methods in Quantitative Genetic Analysis, with the values obtained from the rhizome yield per plant. It did not differ Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, Ludhiana, application of 120 Kg P2O5/ha. In terms significantly with the fresh rhizome yield 1985. of oil yield this treatment has yielded obtained from the treatment combination 71.706 Kg/ha of galangal oil, which is the of 100 KgN/ha in the presence of 80Kg 9. Thakur SK and Sharma SK, Response of ginger to nitrogen and phosphorus in subtropical second highest value. Singh and P O /ha (Table 2). This treatment 2 5 zone of Himachal Pradesh, Indian J Agric 12 Neopaney also reported that application combination also gave maximum oil yield. Res, 1997, 31(3), 195-198. of 80 Kg P2O5/ha resulted in greater plant It can therefore be inferred that 100 KgN height, maximum number of leaves and and 80 Kg P O per hectare are the 10. Anonymous, Annual Report, ICAR Research 2 5 Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya, higher yield in case of ginger. optimum doses of nitrogen and 1998. phosphorus for better growth and yield Interaction effects of A. galanga under mid altitude 11. Singh CD, Sengupta SK and Maurya KN, Effect of varying levels of N, P and K on growth and conditions of Meghalaya. yield of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.), Interaction effects of nitrogen J Res (Birsa Agric Univ), 1992, 4(2), and phosphorus were found to be References 125-127. significant only for plant height and fresh 12. Singh AK and Neopaney B, Effect of NPK rhizome yield per plant. Maximum plant 1. Holttum RE, The Zingiberaceae of the Malay nutrition and spacing on yield attributes in height was recorded due to 150 KgN/ha Peninsula, Gard Bull Sing, 1950, 13, ginger, Haryana J Hort Sci, 1993, 22(2), 48-65. 143-148. in the presence of 120Kg P2O5/ha. But the

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