Impact of Plant Density and Sowing Time on the Growth, Yield and Andrographolide Content of Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Nees) Kumar Kaushal, Chaudhary H.P., Awasthi U.D., Sharma D.C. C.S. Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur Abstract A field experiment was undertaken at the Herbal Research Farm (SIF) of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur during Kharif 2004-06 to find out its optimum sowing time and density of Kalmegh in Central Plain Zone of Uttar Pradesh. There were four plant row spacings viz. 20, 30, 40 and 50 cm alongwith four dates of sowing viz. fifteenth of June, July, August, September in Split Plot Design with 16 treatments and three replications, respectively. The different spacing and sowing time have significants effect on the herbage yield and andrographolide content but did not differ significantly in respect to plant height, plant canopy, number of branches and days to 50 % flowering at all the stages of plant growth. The plant sown at a spacing of 20 x 20 cm on 15th June produced the highest dry herbage yield (6.7 q/ha) followed by 30 x 30 cm (4.4q/ha), while, the plant spaced at 40x40cm recorded the lowest dry herbage yield (2.8 q/ha). The highest andrographolide content (4.46 %) was recorded in the plant sown on 15th June followed by 15th July (2.3%) and 15th August (1.47 %), respectively. Whereas, the lowest andrographolide content was found in the Kalmegh sown on 15th September. Top Key words Kalmegh, plant density, sowing time, androgrpholide, herbage yield.. Top |