Current Good Cultivation Practices
Objectives
At the
end of this lecture, student will be able to
ü Discuss the different guidelines for
Current Good Agricultural Practices
Current Good Cultivation
Practices
ü Cultivation of
medicinal plants requires intensive care and management
ü The conditions and duration of cultivation
required vary depending on the quality of medicinal plant materials required
ü If no scientific published or documented
cultivation data are available, traditional methods of cultivation should be
followed, where feasible. Otherwise a method should be developed through
research
Site selection
ü Medicinal plant materials derived from the
same species can show significant differences in quality when cultivated at
different sites, owing to the influence of soil, climate and other factors
ü These differences may relate to physical
appearance or to variations in their constituents, the biosynthesis of which
may be affected by extrinsic environmental conditions
ü Risks of contamination as a result of
pollution of the soil, air or water by hazardous chemicals should be avoided
ü The impact of past land
uses on the cultivation site, including the planting of previous crops and any
applications of plant protection products, should be evaluated
Ecological environment and social impact
ü Cultivation
of medicinal plants may affect the ecological balance and, in particular, the
genetic diversity of the flora and fauna in surrounding habitat
ü The
quality and growth of medicinal plants can also be affected by other plants,
other living organisms and by human activities
ü The
introduction of non-indigenous medicinal plant species into cultivation may
have a detrimental impact on the biological and ecological balance of the
region
ü The social impact of cultivation on local
communities should be examined to ensure that negative impacts on local
livelihood are avoided.
ü If large-scale medicinal plant cultivation is
or has been established, care should be taken that local communities benefit
directly from, for example, fair wages, equal employment opportunities and
capital reinvestment.
Climate:
ü Climatic
conditions, for example, length of day, rainfall (water supply) and field
temperature, significantly influence the physical, chemical and biological
qualities of medicinal plants
ü The
duration of sunlight, average rainfall, average temperature, including daytime
and night-time temperature differences, also influence the physiological and
biochemical activities of plants, and prior knowledge should be considered
Soil:
ü Soil should contain appropriate amounts of
nutrients, organic matter and other elements to ensure optimal medicinal plant
growth and quality
ü Optimal soil conditions, including soil type,
drainage, moisture retention, fertility and pH
ü The use of fertilizers is often
indispensable in order to obtain large yields of medicinal plants. It is,
however, necessary to ensure that correct types and quantities of fertilizers
are used through agricultural research
ü In practice, organic and chemical fertilizers
are used
ü Human
excreta must not be used as a fertilizer owing to the potential presence of
infectious microorganisms or parasites
ü Animal
manure should be thoroughly composted to meet safe sanitary standards of
acceptable microbial limits
ü Any
applications of animal manure should be documented. Chemical fertilizers that
have been approved by the countries of cultivation and consumption should be
used
ü All
fertilizing agents should be applied sparingly and in accordance with the needs
of the particular medicinal plant species and supporting capacity of the soil
ü Growers
should implement practices that contribute to soil conservation and minimize
erosion
Irrigation and drainage:
Ø Irrigation
and drainage should be controlled and carried out in accordance with the needs
of the individual medicinal plant species during its various stages of growth
Ø Water used for irrigation purposes should
comply with local, regional and/or national quality standards
Ø Care should be exercised to ensure that the
plants under cultivation are neither over- nor under-watered.
Plant maintenance and protection:
ü The growth and development characteristics of
individual medicinal plants, as well as the plant part destined for medicinal
use, should guide field management practices
ü The timely application of measures such as
pruning and shading may be used to control the growth and development of the
plant, thereby improving the quality and quantity of the medicinal plant
material being produced
ü Any
agrochemicals used to promote the growth of or to protect medicinal plants
should be kept to a minimum, and applied only when no alternative measures are
available
ü Integrated
pest management should be followed, only approved pesticides and herbicides
should be applied at the minimum effective level, in accordance with the
labelling and/or package insert instructions
ü Only
qualified staff using approved equipment should carry out pesticide and
herbicide applications.
ü The
minimum interval between such treatments and harvest should be consistent with
the labelling and/or package insert
ü Growers
and producers should comply with maximum pesticide and herbicide residue
limits, as stipulated by local, regional and/or national regulatory authorities
ü International
agreements such as the International Plant Protection Convention and Codex
Alimentarius should also be consulted on pesticide use and residues
Summary
ü Site selection – Same species can show
significant differences in quality when cultivated at different sites, owing to
the influence of soil, climate and other factors
ü Differences may relate to physical appearance
or to variations in their constituents, the biosynthesis
ü Ecological environment and social impact
ü Climatic conditions, for example, length of
day, rainfall (water supply) and field temperature
ü Soil – appropriate amounts of nutrients,
organic matter and other elements,
Irrigation and water