Medicinal solanum (Solanum khasianum Clarke.)
Family: Solanaceae
The Solanum plant is reported to be bitter, acrid, astringent, carminative, stomachic, resolvent, demulcent, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, and cardiotonic.
It is useful in the treatment of asthma, catarrh, dropsy, chest pain, chronic fever, colic, dry and spasmodic cough, oedema, scorpion stings, difficult urination, and worm infestation.
Varieties
RRL-20-2, RRL-SL-6, Glaxo, Arka Sanjivini and Arka Mahima are suitable for cultivation.
Soil and climate
Well drained loamy soils are suitable. It grows well under moderate climatic conditions. Being a hardy plant, even land with medium fertility can give a good stand.
Seeds and planting
It can be propagated through seedlings.
Seed rate
The optimum seed rate is 450 g/ha. The crop requires a resting period of one month and sowing should not be delayed further. Seedlings are raised in nursery and transplanted at six leaf stage at a spacing of 50 x 50 cm during June – July. Drench the seedlings with Copper oxy chloride 2.5 gm/lit of water to prevent damping off disease in nursery.
Irrigation
Irrigation should be given once in a week in the first month and later reduced to once in a fortnight.
Manuring
Apply FYM 10 t/ha and N, P and K at 25, 40 and 80 kg/ha respectively as basal dose. 25 kg of N at second month after planting is required as top dressing.
After cultivation
First weeding is done after 3 – 4 weeks and second weeding at 2 – 3 months.
Plant protection
Root rot
Ensure proper drainage. Drenching of COC (2 g/lit) 2 times at fortnight intervals will control the rot infection.
Harvest
After transplanting, the crop takes six months for harvest. The berries after harvest are dried to attain 10% moisture condition.
