Scope and importance of spices,

plantation, medicinal and aromatic crops

Jeeva.V
M.Sc,.Horticulture
• Definition: A group of commercial crops of
perennial nature, cultivated extensively in
tropical and subtropical situations which
need employment of labour through out
the year and the produces of which are
usually consumed after processing.
Present status
 Importance of Plantation Crops:

• The term Plantation crops refers to those crops

which are cultivated on an extensive scale in a
large contiguous area owned and managed by an
Individual or a company.
• The crops include tea, coffee, rubber, cocoa,
coconut, arecanut, oil palm, palmyrah, cashew,
cinchona etc.
• These plantation crops are high value
commercial crops of greater economic
importance and play a vital role in our Indian
economy.
• They contribute to national economy by way of export
earnings. These crops occupy less than 2 per cent of the total
cultivated area but they generate an income of around Rs.
16,000 million or about 12.72 per cent of the total export
earnings from the export of agricultural produces
• India is the leading country in the total production of certain
plantation crops in the world. For instance, our production
meets the share of 47 per cent in tea and 66 per cent in each
of cashew and arecanut
• Plantation industry provides direct as well as indirect
employment. For instance, tea industry offers direct
employment to 10 lakhs and indirect employment to 10 lakh
people, while-cashew processing factories alone provide
employment to 3 lakhs people
• Plantation industry supports many by-
product industries and also many rural
industries. For example, coconut husk is
used to produce coir fiber annually to a
tune of 2,19,600 tones in India.
• These crops help to conserve the soil and
ecosystem. Tea planted in hill slopes and
cashew in barrel and waste lands protect
the land from soil erosion during the rainy
season or due to heavy winds.
 Importance in national economy

• Export earnings: Plantation crops occupy less than 3

per cent of the total cultivated area (i.e. 1.82 per cent
of total crop land – 4 million ha. out of 143.00
million ha. i.e. around 2.3%).
• Leading position in the world: India is leading in the
total production of certain plantation crops in the
world. Eg: Tea, Cashew, Arecanut, Coconut and
Rubber
Important Research Stations on Plantation and Beverage
Crops
 Cultivation
• Suitable agro-climatic conditions
• (tropical and subtropical)
• Diversity
• Per acreage is very high
• Multiple cropping system
• Varieties are available (hybrids)
• ICAR institutes (CPCRI, Kasargod; IISR Calicut, NRCcashe in PutTur)
• Governmental supports are available
• NSC for providing quality seeds
• Fertilizer industries
• Recommended POPs for each crops
• Technologies (mechanization, hydroponics, polyhouses)
• Vegetable forcing
• Advanced marketing
• Export
• Employment generation
• Employment generations: for production for
nursery to selling
• Industrial utilization:
Oil industry
Mastication
Tea
• Coffee
Importance, Area and Production
of Spices
• Importance of Spices:
• Spices are those plants, the products of which are made use as
food adjuncts to add aroma and flavor. Condiments are also
spices, products of which are used as food adjuncts to add taste
only. Both spices and condiments contain essential oils which
provide the flavor and taste. They are of little nutritive value.
They are used whole, ground, paste, or liquid form, mainly for
flavoring and seasoning of food. Most spices increase the shelf
life of food, especially the dry varieties. Some are added to
improve texture and some to introduce a palatable colour or
odour.
• There are about 63 species grown in India and almost all spices
can be grown in India because of the varied climate tropical,
subtropical and temperate.
• Importance of Spices Industry in India:
• 1. India produces spices on 2.0 million ha with an annual
production of about 2.3million tones valued at about Rs. 4500
crores, contributing nearly 20% of world's production, 30 % of the
trade in terms of quantity but only 10% in terms of valve.
2. Nearly 90 - 95% of the total production is consumed locally and
the rest exported.
3. India is the biggest exporter of spices and annually exporting
about 1.9 lakh tone of different spices and spice products earning
a foreign exchange of about 700 crores.
4. They are indispensable part of our culinary, preparations
especially, used for flavouring and seasoning of food.
5. Most of the spices have potential medicinal values. Besides, the
spices and spice products are also indirectly used as flavouring or
colouring agents or as preservatives in many pharmaceutical
preparations.
Importance, Area and Production of Aromatic Crops
Aromatic plants are from a numerically large group of economically
important plants. These are increasing demand for essential oils, aroma
chemicals drugs and pharmaceuticals in the world market since two decades.
Aromatic compounds are present in plants i.e. in root, wood, bark, foliage,
flower, fruit, seed etc.

1. Aromatic plants produce essential oils, perfumes and flavours are in use with
our civilization since several thousand years.
2. Due to Vast area and varied agro-climatic condition, it can be commercial
cultivated in different part of India successfully.
3. Essential oils and aroma chemicals are indispensable in various human
activities.
4. They are adjuncts of cosmetics, soaps, pharmaceutical preparation,
perfumer confectionery, ice-cream, aerated waters, disinfectants, agarbatti
etc.
5. Some of the important aromatic plants like Lemon grass, Citronella,
Palmarose, Vetiver, Geranium, Lavender, Dawana etc. have great demand in
our country
 Importance of Medicinal Plants
• Medicinal and Aromatic plants form a numerically large group of economically important
plants which provide basic raw materials for medicines, perfumes, flavors and cosmetics.
These plants and their products not only serve as valuable source of income for small
holders and entrepreneurs but also help the country to earn valuable foreign exchange by
way of export.
• Medicinal plants are those plants which are rich in secondary -metabolites and arc potential
source of drugs. These secondary metabolites includes alkoloids, glycosides, coumarins,
flavonides, steroids etc.

• 1. India is one of the few countries where almost all the known medicinal plants can be
cultivated in some part of the country or the other. Among various plants there is great
demand in the country and abroad are as opium poppy, tropane alkaloid bearing plants,
sapogenin bearing yams, senna, cinchona and ipecae.
• 2. The ancient Indian system of medicine is mainly plant based matesia medica making use
of most of our native plants. It caters the needs of rural population of our
country.
• 3. ISM (Indian System of Medicine) offers most appropriate or first line theorapy against
many diseases like jaundice, asthama, diabetes etc.
• 4. India has about 2,000 species of medicinal plants and a vast geographical area with high
production potential and varied agroclirnatical conditions.
• 5. India is already a major exporter of medicinal plants. It is estimated that Rs, 86 crores
worth of raw materials and drug from medicinal plants are exported from India.
 Scope
• Medicianal plants are those rich in secondary
metaboiltes and are potential sources
• Includes alkaloids, glycosides, coumarins,
flavanoids, steroids etc.
• Indian System of medicine (ISM), Ayurveda,
Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
• World health Organization lists 21,000
species
• Agroclimatic conditions
• ISM andothers cures many human ailments
• Vast geographic area
• Export potential: second position in export
(only raw) and sixth in value. Eg. psyllium and
opium latex
• Conservation and sustainability
• Institutes: CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow, NRC;
National Medicinal plants board, New Board,
• Directorate of M & A research, Anand; ICAR-
IIHR; NRC-M&P, Anand
• Industries
• POPs
• R& D