Pages

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.) plants sale in India


Family: Ginkgoaceae
English : Maidenhair tree, Ginkgo, Kew tree, Fossil tree, Temple tree.
Urdu : Pankha Plant
Kashmiri : Aziz tree
(Plant dedicated to  Shaheed -e-Azemat 
(Martyr of  Determination) Sheikh Abdul Aziz )
Hindi : Balkuwari
Arabic: Mabad ag
Botanical Information : Ginkgo biloba L., commonly called ginkgo or maidenhair tree, is a long-lived, deciduous, shade tree from China  that can reach a mature height over one hundred feet and is the only genus and species of the Ginkgoaceae family existing today. Know for its three-inch wide, fan-shaped leaves that turn golden yellow in autumn, the ginkgo tree can be found also It is found in  Kashmir , Gilgat, IRAN, Afghanistan and North Americaand is one of oldest species of trees in existence today. Individual ginkgo trees have been known to live as long as 1,000 years. The trees, which are dioecious (bearing male flowers on one tree and female flowers on another), may not flower until they are twenty to thirty years old. The female trees produce a one to one-half-inch, plum-shaped, orange fruit. It is the leaves that are harvested for medicinal purposes.

The Jammu Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre has launched Ginkgo Project  for propagation of Ginkgo saplings and during current plantation season and 13373 saplings are available for distribution.

Director of this institution said that anybody who is interested in plantation of Ginkgo  tree can contact the concerned Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre and obtain Ginkgo plants.

Description of the plant :
Plant : Deciduous Tree
Height : 30 m (98 feet)
Flovering : April to May
Scent : Scented Tree

Bioactive Components :
The main bioactive components of ginkgo leaves are flavonoids, biflavonoides, proanthocyanidins, and triactonic diterpenes, which include the ginkgolides A, B & C. Ginkgolide B has been shown to inhibit platelets in the blood from coagulating. The flavonoids in ginkgo have demonstrated very strong antioxidant effects.

Uses and Treatments :
Ginkgo has been used for medicinal purposes for almost 5,000 years. In Chinese traditional medicine, it is used to treat asthma, bronchitis, and various brain disorders. In Asia, the seeds of the ginkgo tree are used to aid digestion and to reduce the intoxicating effects of alcohol. In Europe and North America, ginkgo extract is used for the treatment of circulatory problems, immune system dysfunction and cognitive disorders, including memory loss. There are currently no approved treatments involving the use of ginkgo extracts in North America. However, the FDA regards ginkgo extracts as "probably safe". Germany's
Commission E. has approved ginkgo extract for the treatment of intermittent claudication, vascular vertigo, and vascular tinnitus.  Some of the uses of ginkgo are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Modern and traditional uses of Ginkgo biloba.
Modern Uses Traditional/Folk Uses
- Loss of cognitive ability - Brain disorders
- Poor circulation - Asthma and bronchitis
- Vision and hearing problems - Increase life span and sexual potency

Site Selection : Ginkgo grows best in deep, moist, sandy soil and prefers full to partial sun in zones four to eight. It will tolerate poor and compacted soils except permanently wet soils. Ginkgo will grow in a wide range of soil pH and can tolerate heat and drought once the trees get established. For a tree crop, preparation of the soil is just as important as a field crop.

Planting : Propagation can be done by seed, cuttings, or grafting. Cuttings are the preferred method of propagating ginkgo to assure planting of only male flowering trees. Seeds can be planted in the spring or fall. Tim Blakley, co-author of Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field, and Marketplace, recommends stratifying the seed for four to six weeks if planting in the spring. Blakley sows his ginkgo seeds in one to five gallon pots, then transplants seedlings to the field, spacing them ten to twenty feet apart. Mulching the plants will keep weeds down. Ginkgo can grow twelve to eighteen inches a year. Blakley states the trees should reach a height of six to eight feet before beginning to harvest.

Insects and Diseases : Ginkgo trees have developed an amazing resistance to disease and pests. The Index of Plant Diseases in the United States lists the following diseases for Ginkgo biloba: leaf spots, Glomerella cingulata (anthracnose) and Phyllosticta gingko; sapwood or wound rot, Fomes conatus, Oxyporus populinus, and Polyporus spp. (sometimes found on living trees following injuries); root knot nematodes, Heterodera marioni and Meloidogyne sp.; root rot, Phymatotrichum omnivorum; and a seed rot, Xylaria longeana.

Harvesting, Cleaning, and Drying : The leaves from a ginkgo tree are harvested in fall, as the leaves are turning yellow. Blakley’s method of harvesting is to cut the branches with pruning shears, and then pull the leaves off of the branches. He recommends placing the leaves on racks in a dryer designed for herbs, and turning the leaves several times during the drying process to avoid matting. Ed Fletcher, Strategic Sourcing, Inc, suggests setting the dryer temperature at 105o-110oF. Drying time averages from twelve to fourteen hours but may increase or decrease depending on the humidity in the air. When adequately dried, the leaves should have a crinkly andcrumbly feel. Fletcher states that there should be no flexibility in the leaf without breaking. When the midrib is dry, the leaf will also be dry. Package the dried leaves in woven poly bags that are light proof or in corrugated boxes, and store in a cool, dry, dark location.

Annual Consumption and Dollar Value. In 2001, between 4.5 million pounds and 5.1 million pounds of dried ginkgo leaves were consumed. This was 34% higher than the amount in 1997 and about 5% higher than the amount in 2000. The dollar value in 2001 was about $25 million, which was 40% greater than the dollar value in 1997.

Supply and Demand : Historically, positive clinical support propels demand for this botanical. Clinical trials are being done on Ginkgo biloba as a treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease. An aging population base in North America and Europe has increased demand, due to ginkgo’s antiaging actions. European functional food manufacturers are also incorporating this material into more nutritional supplements and beverages.

Supply and demand for ginkgo has reached equilibrium with a very stable market. Supplies come almost exclusively from large-scale cultivation. Large-scale cultivation is occurring worldwide. A small number of growers produce over 95% of the world’s supply. Large commercial plantations exist in South Carolina (US), Japan, Korea, France and China. Sumter County, South Carolina, is home to the largest ginkgo plantation in North America. Since the supply of ginkgo comes exclusively from cultivated sources, little variation exists in bioactive components among individual harvests. Customers are primarily concerned with a lack of chemical residue on the material. Typical bioactive percentages are 24% ginkgo flavoglycosides and 6% terpene lactones.

Distribution Channels :
Distribution channels for ginkgo are highly structured. The maturity of this market has resulted in all material flowing through large, vertically integrated companies. Most organizations are located in Europe and draw on imported raw material sources from all over the world.

Where available in :
Contact person : Sheikh Gulzaar (Head)
POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR JK 190001
Ph: 01933-223705
Mob: 09858986794