A Good Agricultural Practice of medicinal plants is a cultivation program designed to ensure optimal yield in terms of both the quality and quantity of any crop intended for health purposes.
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Added: Mar 17, 2023
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Quality Control & Standardization Of Herbals Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) By Kaushal Kumar
A Good Agricultural Practice of medicinal plants is a cultivation program designed to ensure optimal yield in terms of both the quality and quantity of any crop intended for health purposes. The guidelines on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) provide us the documented proof on how to handle medicinal plants right from its cultivation to post-harvesting operations . Raw medicinal plant materials should meet all applicable national or regional quality standards . INTRODUCTION
→ To raise the income level in rural areas . → To provide sufficient inputs to agro -processing industries. → to improve the quality, safety and efficacy of finished herbal products. → To guide the formulation of national or regional guidelines and monographs for medicinal plants and related standard operating procedures (SOPs). → To encourage and support the sustainable cultivation and collection of medicinal plants. Objective Of cGAP
► Selection Of Medicinal Plants ► Identification/authentication of cultivated medicinal plants ► Specimens ► Seeds & other propagating materials ► Cultivation ► Site Selection ► Ecological environment & social impact ► Climate ► Irrigation & Drainage ► Plant Maintenance & Protection ► Harvesting & drying ► Storage ► Personnel ► Soil Guidelines On GAP
► Selection Of Medicinal Plants In the case of newly introduced medicinal plants, the species or botanical variety selected for cultivation should be identified and documented as the source material used or described in the traditional medicine of the original country. ► Identification/authentication of cultivated medicinal plants The botanical identity scientific name (genus, species, subspecies/variety, author and family) of each medicinal plant under cultivation should be verified and recorded. Guidelines On GAP
► Specimens In case of the first registration of a medicinal plant or where reasonable doubt exists as to the identity of a botanical species, a voucher botanical WHO g uidelines on good agricultural and collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants specimen should be submitted to a regional or national herbarium for identification. ► Seeds & other propagating materials Seeds and other propagating materials should be specified and the suppliers should provide all necessary information relating to the identity, quality and performance of their products, as well as their breeding history. The propagating or planting materials should be of the appropriate quality and free from contamination and diseases to promote healthy plant growth. Guidelines On GAP
► Cultivation The cultivation of medicinal plants requires intensive care and management. The conditions and duration of cultivation required differ depending on the quality of medicinal plant materials. ► Site Selection Medicinal plant materials derived from the same species can show significant differences in quality when cultivated at different sites, due to the influence of sail, climate and other factors. ► Ecological environment & social impact The ecological impact on cultivation should be monitored over time. The social impact of cultivation on local communities should be examined to ensure that negative impacts on local livelihood are avoided. Guidelines On GAP
► Climate Climatic conditions like the length of day, rainfall (water supply) and field temperature significantly influence the physical, chemical and biological qualities of medicinal plants. ► Soil Optimal soil condition includes soil type, drainage, moisture retention, fertility and pH. The use of fertilizers is vital in order to obtain large yields of medicinal plants. Human excreta must not be used as a fertilizer due to the presence of infectious micro-organisms or parasites. ► Irrigation & Drainage Irrigation and drainage should be controlled and carried out per the needs of the individual medicinal plant species during its various stages of growth. Water used for irrigation purposes should comply with local, regional and national quality standards. Guidelines On GAP
► Plant Maintenance & Protection The growth and development of individual medicinal plants, as well as the plant parts intended for medicinal use, should be taken more care and maintained. Agrochemicals used to protect medicinal plants should be kept to a minimum and applied only when no alternative measures are available. ► Harvesting & drying During harvest, care should be taken to ensure that no foreign matter, weeds or toxic plants are mixed with the harvested medicinal plant materials. Medicinal plants should be harvested under the best possible conditions, avoiding dew, rain or high humidity. Guidelines On GAP
► Storage Fresh medicinal plants should be stored at low temperatures, ideally, at 2-8°C, frozen products should be stored at less than -20°C . ► Personnel All personnel (including field workers) involved in the propagation, cultivation, harvest and post-harvest processing stages of medicinal plant production should maintain appropriate personal hygiene and should have received training regarding their hygiene responsibilities. Guidelines On GAP