Browsing by Author "Jayasinghe, L"

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Open Access
Tuber quality of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Duanal) affected by different growth conditions
(Institute of Agricultural Science, CNU, 2019) Kaliyadasa, E; Jayasinghe, L; Peiris, S
Ashwagandha (Withania sominifera Duanal) is an important medicinal herb with increased demand after discovering its anti-stress and sex stimulating properties that are attributed to the presence of biologically active alkaloid compounds. The aim of this study was to elucidate a proper agro technological package that ensures the optimum growth of Ashwagandha to obtain the finest quality without degrading the pharmacologically active constituents. Mixtures of organic and inorganic fertilizers were combined with direct seeding and transplanted as four different treatments in this study. The fresh and dry weights of the tubers were recorded up to 12 months starting from two months after sowing (MAS) while the shoot height, root length, number of leaves, fresh and dry weights of the shoot and the root with a shoot ratio of up to 6 MAS were determined. The results revealed that the growth of Ashwagandha was not affected significantly by the method of planting, type of fertilizer or their combinations during most of the harvests. However, tubers harvested at 6 MAS had the highest recorded dry tuber weight per plant in all four treatments compared to the early harvests where two direct seeded treatments had the best results. Comparison of the phytochemical compounds showed that direct seeding with organic fertilizer had the highest recorded values for alkaloid and withaferine A contents with a lower percentage of fiber compared to the treatments with inorganic fertilizer. In conclusion, direct seeding with organic fertilizer and tubers harvested at 6 MAS are recommended as the best cultivation conditions and harvesting stage to obtain high quality tubers of Ashwagandha, respectively.
Open Access
Yield and Phytochemical Attributes of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Dunal) Tubers as Affected by Source of Nutrients
(Academia, 2018-06) Kaliyadasa, E; Jayasinghe, L; Peiris, S
Ashwagandha (Withania sominifera Dunal) is an imperative medicinal crop in herbal industry since time immemorial which roots are in commercial importance. This herb known for its ability to enhance the resistance to stresses, increases stamina and promotes general wellbeing. The changes in the plant growth and quality of the roots mainly depend on different agronomic practices coupled with stage of harvesting. Plants grown under organic and inorganic sources of nutrients were used up to twelve months of sowing for yield analysis and tubers were analyzed for its alkaloid, total fiber and withaferine A contents upto ten months. Highest values for all above phyto constituents were recorded in tubers of organically grown compared to inorganically fertilized plants except crude fiber content and at six months after sowing is the best stage for harvesting to obtain high quality tubers. This is an important study for biochemical standardization of Ashwagandha tubers in commercial processing.