Page 161 - Agroforestry system - book inner (final corrected) - 9.-3-21_Neat

National level e-symposium on “Agroforestry system for augmenting livestock
productivity and empowering resource poor rural farmers”

S4 – 5

Agroforestry and Ethnoveterinary
M.Suganthi*, K.Pasupathy, K.Premavalli, V.Ranganathan and L.Radhakrishnan,
Post Graduate Research Institute in Animal Sciences, Kattupakkam
Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
*Corresponding Author E mail:agrisuganthi@yahoo.com

Introduction
Diversification of agriculture helps in conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem.. Growing of medicinal
herbs are highly economical and liable to minimize the risk of using medicines for treatment in animal
husbandry (Kumar, 2002). Trees help in nutrient pumping from lower strata to the crop root zone (Kenneth
et.al, 1999). The potentially higher productivity could be due to capture of more growth resources like light,
water or due to improved soil fertility (Pamo et.al., 2001). Border row horticulture system is recommended
in the medicinal herb production system. Coconut trees are widely distributed in tropical countries. Straight
growth of coconut trees would not interfere with the yield of the crops. Coconut trees are effective border trees
which helps to increase moisture use efficiency especially during hot summer. In order to meet the demand
of medicinal herbs and thus enhance the milk production, thirty species of medicinal herbs are cultivated in
between the border rows of coconut trees. In intensive medicinal plant cultivation system coconut trees can
be effectively maintained as border rows to improve the productivity of herbs as well as to effective utilization
of input resources (Balakrishnan et al.,2009). Hence the present study is focusing on the effect of border row
as coconut on identifying the species suitable under coconut trees and further yield of herbs under coconut
system.
Materials and Methods

Coconut trees were maintained as borders of medicinal herbs in the field of PGRIAS. Thirty species of
Medicinal herbs were cultivated as per cultivation techniques in an area of 12 m plot. The growth performance
2
of thirty species of locally available herbs were compared. The crop growth, survivability, during summer
and winter were compared. Solanum trilobatum, Cissus quodrangalanis Catharanthus roseus, Commelina
benghalensis, Calotropis gigantea, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Aloe vera, Sida cardifolia, Abutilon
indicum, Achyranthes aspera, Cleome gynandra, Leucas aspera Eclipta prostrate, Acalypha indica, Solanum
nigrum, Phyllanthus amarus, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Andrographis Paniculata, Ocimum sanctum, Ocimum
canum, Boyophyllum Pinnatum, Alpinia calcarata, Coleus aromaticus, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Lawsonia
inermis, Mimosa pudica, Adhatoda vasica, Vitex negundo, Gymnema sylvestre species were planted between
the border rows of coconut and their performance were compared.
Result and Discussion

Commelina benghalensis, Leucas aspera Eclipta prostrate, Acalypha indica, , Andrographis Paniculata,
Ocimum sanctum, Ocimum canum,, Alpinia calcarata, Coleus aromaticus, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Lawsonia
inermis, Gymnema sylvestre performed only during rainy and winter season whereas other species such as
Solanum trilobatum, Cissus quodrangalanis Catharanthus roseus, Calotropis gigantea, Cardiospermum
halicacabum, Aloe vera, Sida cardifolia, Abutilon indicum, Achyranthes aspera, Cleome gynandra, Solanum

142 Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development