Articles
PRODUCTION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN ASIA
Article number
679_6
Pages
45 – 59
Language
English
Abstract
Medicinal plants have played a significant role in many ancient traditional systems of medication in Asia such as the Ayurvedic and Unanic systems of India, the Chinese traditional medicine, as well as their derivatives in most Asian countries.
At present, medicinal plants still play an important role in both developed and developing countries in Asia.
In addition, they also generate income to the people of many Asian countries who earn a living from selling collected materials from the wild or through their own cultivation.
Asia is unique among geographical regions of the world since it possesses (I) high biological diversity, (ii) high cultural diversity, (iii) diverse ancient civilizations, and (iv) abundant raw material for modern drug manufacturing.
Collecting naturally-occurring medicinal plants has taken place in Asia since prehistoric time.
At present, such activity, although limited in amount in most countries, is still carried on with the objectives of using them in traditional medicine or for processing into pharmaceutical products.
Such activity generates income to the native people, provides raw material at a low cost, and access to material not available through cultivation.
However, collection also creates problems in genetic erosion, especially with uncontrolled collection, and thus unsustainability.
Cultivation of medicinal plants in Asia is characterized by the following criteria: (i) subsistence cropping systems, (ii) scattered farming areas, (iii) poor quality, and (iv) lack of integration.
The advantages of commercial cultivation of medicinal plants include: (i) helping to conserve endangered species in their natural habitat, (ii) permitting production of uniform materials, (iii) providing good income to the farmers, (iv) providing opportunities for value-addition through processing, (v) providing a better environment through utilizing waste and unproductive lands, and (vi) providing continuity of supply.
As compared to other economic crops, medicinal plants have received much less attention in genetic and cultural improvements.
Only a few countries in the Region are now cultivating improved cultivars, while the rest still depend on wild material collected for cultivation.
Their cultivation techniques are quite primitive, resulting in poor yield and quality of the materials.
Several constraints are envisaged, e.g. biotic (unimproved cultivars, long life cycle, susceptability to pests and diseases), abiotic (low soil fertility, flood and drought, improper light intensity and duration, extremes of temperatures, and physical injuries or damage), technological (lack of good agronomic practices, lack of technology and technology transfer, and lack of facilities) and socio-economic (competition with other economic crops and modern drugs; lack of market channels, a domestic pharmaceutical industry, and organized cultivation; and no price support/incentive provided).
In spite of the above constraints, medicinal plants continue to play a significant role in the welfare of people in Asia.
Due to higher demand of raw material for industrial processing, coupled with the loss of natural habitats of most medicinal plants, large-scale cultivation of promising species has recently been attempted in several countries.
At present, medicinal plants still play an important role in both developed and developing countries in Asia.
In addition, they also generate income to the people of many Asian countries who earn a living from selling collected materials from the wild or through their own cultivation.
Asia is unique among geographical regions of the world since it possesses (I) high biological diversity, (ii) high cultural diversity, (iii) diverse ancient civilizations, and (iv) abundant raw material for modern drug manufacturing.
Collecting naturally-occurring medicinal plants has taken place in Asia since prehistoric time.
At present, such activity, although limited in amount in most countries, is still carried on with the objectives of using them in traditional medicine or for processing into pharmaceutical products.
Such activity generates income to the native people, provides raw material at a low cost, and access to material not available through cultivation.
However, collection also creates problems in genetic erosion, especially with uncontrolled collection, and thus unsustainability.
Cultivation of medicinal plants in Asia is characterized by the following criteria: (i) subsistence cropping systems, (ii) scattered farming areas, (iii) poor quality, and (iv) lack of integration.
The advantages of commercial cultivation of medicinal plants include: (i) helping to conserve endangered species in their natural habitat, (ii) permitting production of uniform materials, (iii) providing good income to the farmers, (iv) providing opportunities for value-addition through processing, (v) providing a better environment through utilizing waste and unproductive lands, and (vi) providing continuity of supply.
As compared to other economic crops, medicinal plants have received much less attention in genetic and cultural improvements.
Only a few countries in the Region are now cultivating improved cultivars, while the rest still depend on wild material collected for cultivation.
Their cultivation techniques are quite primitive, resulting in poor yield and quality of the materials.
Several constraints are envisaged, e.g. biotic (unimproved cultivars, long life cycle, susceptability to pests and diseases), abiotic (low soil fertility, flood and drought, improper light intensity and duration, extremes of temperatures, and physical injuries or damage), technological (lack of good agronomic practices, lack of technology and technology transfer, and lack of facilities) and socio-economic (competition with other economic crops and modern drugs; lack of market channels, a domestic pharmaceutical industry, and organized cultivation; and no price support/incentive provided).
In spite of the above constraints, medicinal plants continue to play a significant role in the welfare of people in Asia.
Due to higher demand of raw material for industrial processing, coupled with the loss of natural habitats of most medicinal plants, large-scale cultivation of promising species has recently been attempted in several countries.
Authors
K. Chapman, N. Chomchalow
Keywords
biodiversity, conservation, cultivation, threatened species, wildcrafting
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