Thyme , CULTIVATION OF TYME , PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF THYME

Thyme , CULTIVATION OF TYME , PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF THYME

1. THYME BY- ARVIND YADAV I.D No.- 721 ( BATCH :-2017) Banda University of Agriculture and Tecnology , Banda

2. Genomic Classification Scientific Name : Thymus uulgaris Linn. Family : Lamica ( Labiatae ) Indian Name : Banajwain (Hindi),Thyme (Kannada) Chromosome No. :2n= 30 Edible Portion : All Aerial parts Origin. : Mediterranean region

3. Introduction Thyme is one of the important European culinary herbs. Thyme is commonly called Common Thyme or Garden Thyme. Wild species which yield volatile oil are T. serpyllum L., T. zygus L.(white thyme), T . satureioides Coss and Bal. Thymol , linalool and linalyl acetate are the major compound present in T.zygus and T . serpyllum . T . zygus and its var. gracitis are also the source for genuine thyme oil.

4. Medicinally, the leaves are said to possess laxative, stomachic and tonic properties, good for kidney and eye and are blood purifiers. The herb also has insect-repellent properties. Thyme has antiseptic, antispasmodic and carminative properties. The oil of thyme is used as intestinal antiseptic in treating hookworms. Its oil also have some antifungal and antithelmintic properties.

5. Origin and Distribution Thyme grows wild in almost all the countries bordering the Mediterranean and also over much of Asia and in parts of Central Europe and grows best in the hills. In India it is found in western temperate Himalayas, from kashmir to Kumaon , between altitudes of 1,525m-4000m. Thyme is grown in Europe, Australia and North asia . It is now cultivated in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece and north Africa, Canada and USA.

6. Botany Thyme is a low, evergreen, perennial under-shrub reaching a height of 20-30 cm. The roots are fairly robust and the stems are branched. The leaves are oblonglancelolate , sessile with 10 mm x 3 mm size, with orange-brown, glandular dots. The young leaves are slightly woolly. The flowers are small, purplish or bluish to almost white, united in spikes at the tip of the branches. The fruit is a nutlet , brown, 4-sectioned, smooth and is found in the remains of the calyx. The entire plant is aromatic. The cultivated Thyme yields about 2.5 % volatile oil whereas wild thyme yields 0.5 % oil.

7. Climate, Soil and Season Climate The thyme flourishes well in warm climate, it can be grown both in the hills and the plains at an elevation of 1500-4000 m MSL. Hilly regions are best suited for its cultivation. However, the plants are susceptible to frost. Soil The crop prefers a light but fertile and calcareous soil for its good growth and oil content. On heavy, wet soils the aroma of the leaves is less and there are more chances that the plants may dry up soon. Season The seeds may be sown in nursery during April. Late summer is the time for transplanting the seedlings or planting rooted cuttings.

8. Varieties Ground cover Thymes Culinary Thymes Annle hall thyme Silver Thyme Elfin Thyme English Thyme Lime thyme Juniper Thyme Mint thyme Caraway Thyme Woolly thyme Hi-Ho sliver Thymes Hall’s wolly Thyme Grey Hill Lemon Coconut Thyme Orange Balsam Lemon Frost Thyme Caraway Thyme

9. Area and Production The exact area and production of this crop is not available. Among the countries producing thyme oil, Spain stands first, followed by France, Morocco and the Mediterranean countries. The bulk of the world demand for this oil is met by Spain and Turkey.

10. Cultivation Propagation Thyme can be propagated by seeds and vegetatively by the division of old plants or by cuttings or by layering of the side shoots in March or April. The seeds are sown directly in rows or are sown in well-prepared nursery beds in good soils. Good soil is preferred for nursery, because the seedlings are very small and remain inconspicuous for several weeks after germination. Land preparation The land is prepared well by repeated ploughing or digging and brought to a fine tilth . Then, the land is divided into plots of convenient sizes.

11. Sowing, Manures and Fertilizers Sowing The seeds are sown directly in rows of 90 cm apart and after germination the seedlings may be thinned out to 30-45 cm within the row. While planting the seedlings or rooted cuttings or layers, they should be planted 30-45 cm in rows and 60 cm apart. A light irrigation is usually provided after planting. Manures and fertilizers Application of FYM is done at the time of preparation of land. Fertilizers are applied @ 100:40:40 kg NPK/ha. A top-dressing of N and FYM in spring is reported to promote the formation of numerous leafy shoots.

12. Irrigation and Inter-culture. The crop is planted late in summer it requires different irrigation during dry period. Inter-culture operations and weeding are done at regular intervals to encourage the good growth of the plants. In the hills, in order to avoid frost injury to plants during winter, mulching is done.

13. Harvesting and Processing The leaves and flowers, which are used for culinary and medicinal purposes, are harvested five months after sowing/ planting. The leaves and flowers are plucked from the plants or shoots of about 15 cm are cut off from the Plants, dried in the shade or in a dryer immediately after harvest and stored in air-tight containers to prevent the loss of flavour . The dried leaves are curled, are brownish-green in colour , and usually not longer than 6-7 mm. Under favourable conditions, the yield of dry herb is around 1,100-2200 kg/ha. The yield is comparatively low during the first year. The plants become woody, and their replanting becomes necessary after three or four years.

14. For extracting the oil, the fresh herb is collected on dry days. The herb is collected at the stage when it just start flowering. At the time of collection, the lower portions of the stem, along with any yellow or brown leaves, need to be rejected. Distillation of oil and oil yield The oil is distilled from the fresh flowering tops by steam distillation. The herb contains about 2% essential oil and the oil recovered by distillation is about 21 kg/ha. Value-added products Volatile oil, oleoresin and thymol are the value-added products of thyme. Thymol : The chielf constitutent of the oil is thymol (about 45 %). Thymol is also produced synthetically.

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