MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC CROPS (2+1)

Harvesting and yield

The crop starts flowering after about 2½ months of sowing. The flowers set fruits in nearly 3-4 days. The fruit requires about 2 months from set to maturity. The harvesting stage of the pods is identified when they turn blackish and white strips appear at the angles at the ridges of the fruit. Harvesting is a difficult process if the flowering season is long. The fruit should be harvested carefully as it possesses stiff hairs which cause itching. Harvesting must be undertaken regularly at intervals of 7-10 days, depending upon the availability of mature, ripe fruits. It is a 170-180 days' duration crop and in all 20-25 pluckings have to be carried out.

The pods have to be shade-dried after harvest. The seeds are separated from the pods by beating the pods with sticks or by splitting the dry pods by hand. The seeds have to be cleaned, shade-dried and stored. A normal crop may give a yield of 9-10 q/ha of seeds. The essential oil is extracted using steam distillation methods. However to extract the fatty substances, solvent extraction method is followed.