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Shatavari
Botanical Name – Asparagus officinalis var.
Family -Asparagaceae

Importance

  • Shatavari is known as the most innocent herb which contains wide range of benefits for human body.
  • It derives its named “Shatavari” as a woman possessing hundred husbands.
  • It is a rejuvenate herb and roots are used about 500 tonnes in India every year for the production of medicines.
  • Drugs prepared from Shatavari is used to treat gastric ulcers, dyspepsia and for nervous disorders.
  • It is a shrub with average height of 1-3m with fascicle or clustered roots.
  • Flowers are branched and are 3cm long.
  • Perianth is white with good fragrance and 3mm long.

Varieties
Marth
Washington,
Mary
Washington.
Soil and Climate

Soil –

  • It is grown in variety of soils such as red loamy to clayey soil, black soil to laterite soil having good drainage system.
  • It can also grow under rocky and shallow soils having soil depth not more than 20-30cm.
  • It gives best result in sandy loam to medium black soil having good drainage system and pH ranging from 6-8 ranges best for plant growth.

 Climate – 

  • Temperature -20-35°C 
  • Rainfall – 600-1000mm
  • Sowing Temperature -30-35°C
  • Harvesting Temperature– 20-25°C

Land Preparation

  • For Shatavari plantation, it requires sandy loam soil with drainage system.
  • To bring soil to fine tilth, digging of land is to be done at the depth of 15cm. transplantation is done on raised beds.

Sowing

  • Time of sowing
    Transplanting of seedlings should be done in the month of June – July.   
  • Spacing
    Depending upon its growth habit, use spacing of 4.5m x 1.2m and 20cm in height.
  • Method of Sowing
    Crop is transplanted in field, when crop attain height of 45cm.

Seed and Seed Treatment

  • Seed Rate
    For high yielding use seed rate of 400-600g per acre.  

    Seed treatment
  • To protect crop from soil borne disease and pest, before sowing do seed treatment by soaking seeds in cow urine for 24 hours.
  • After treatment seeds are sown in nursery beds.

Method of Propagation
Seeds and
Crowns
Nursery Management and Transplanting

  • Chemical treatment is given to the soil before sowing.
  • Seeds are sown in the month of April.
  • Sow Shatavari seeds on raised beds of 30-40 cm width and of convenient length. After sowing cover beds with thin cloth so as to retain moisture.
  • Seedling germination starts within 8-10 days.
    Seedlings are ready for transplanting when they attain the height of 45cm.
  • The seedlings are transplanted at the ridges of 60 X 60 cm.

Manures and Fertlizers

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

UREASSPMURIATE OF POTASH
5220066

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

NITROGENPHOSPHORUSPOTASH
243240
  • At the time of land preparation, apply well decomposed FYM (Farm Yard Manure)@80q/acre and mix well in the soil.
  • Apply fertilizer dose of N:P:K @24:32:40kg/acre in form of Urea@52, SSP@200 and MOP@66kg/acre.
  • To prevent plant from soil borne disease apply bio pesticides, Dhatura, Chitrakmool, Cow’s urine etc.                                         

Weed Control

Frequent weeding is required in early growth periods of the crop. 6-8 hand weeding are required for making field weed free.

Irrigation

  • First immediate irrigation should be done after planting the seedlings in the main field.
  • Too much irrigation is not required to this crop.
  • However in the starting irrigation is done at the interval of 4-6 days and then after sometime irrigation is done at weekly intervals.
  • Irrigation must be done before the harvesting so that digging of roots become easier.

Diseases

Rust: Caused by Puccinia asparagi. The disease causes brown spots on the leaves and results in drying of leaves.

To get rid of this disease application of Bordeaux mixture@1% is done to control the disease.

Cropping and Harvesting
Harvest from
third year of
planting
Yield
1250 –
3750
kg/ha