"Medicinal and Aromatic Plants for Health and Well-being of All"
A high yielding plant cultivar of Centella asiatica was identified after five years of research at ICAR-DMAPR and it was dedicated to the nation with the name “Vallabh Medha” (Vallabh to respect of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - the Iron Man of India in whose birth place ICAR-DMAPR is located and Medha stands for the memory improving efficiency of Centella asiatica) during the 18th All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Medicinal & Aromatic Plants and Betelvine held at Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri during November 8-11, 2010. “Vallabh Medha” is a single plant clonal selection. It is bigger in size in respect to all the morphological characters and leaf area is more than 4.5 times higher than the local cultivar. RAPD markers are also identified for the distinctness of the new variety. Photosynthetic rate is also higher, and respiration rate is lower in “Vallabh Medha”. Fresh herbage and dry herbage yields harvested in “Vallabh Medha are 12331 kg ha-1 and 2113 kg ha-1 , respectively” comparing to 2050 and 392 kg ha-1 in the local variety. Active ingredients (asiaticoside, madecassic acid and Asiatic acid) are also present in higher quantity in “Vallabh Medha”. Scientists involved in the development of “Vallabh Medha” were Dr. Satyabrata Maiti, Dr. Geetha K.A., Dr. O.P. Singh, Dr. N.A. Gajbhiye, Dr. Sanghamitra Samantharay and Mr. Saravanan Raju. For the planting material please contact to the following address:
The Director, Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research, Boriavi, Anand, Gujarat - 387310. E.mail : director.dmapr@gmail.com
