Writer-South Asia

Monday, February 20, 2012

Melissa officinalis seedlings for sale

Melissa officinalis plant

Lemon Balm

Bot. name Melissa officinalis

Family : Labiatea

Other names: Balm, Lemon Balm, Melissa Balm (USA), Balm Mint

Distribution : Sonamarag, Ramban (Kashmir Himalayas), Iran, USA, Pakistan. Egypt, Italy, Ireland.

Ecological notes : Grows on rich soils

Status : Not so common

Details : The herb is commercially produced in Hungary and the oil in Ireland.

Melissa grows best in alluvial soil, excess water is harmful, while yields diminish in light and dry soils (Guenther).

Major producing countries : Hungary, Egypt, Italy, for herb Ireland for essential oil

Yield and description : Genuine Melissa oil is a pale yellow sweet smelling oil with an odour of aromatic lemon. Yields are as low as 0.014% for distillation of the fresh herb to 0.112% for dried herb, increasing to 0.13% using cohobation. True oil is extremely expensive. The oil is held in high esteem for its use in aromatherapy, it is reported to have a sedative effect. There is little use for the oil in perfumery, where the odour is readily suggested by blends of the very cheap oils of Lemon, Lemongrass and fortified by Citronella oil. According to Arctander the plant is known in Europe as "Hearts Delight" since infusions of the herb were supposed to cure heart disease and melancholia and this led to the late 1930's perfume "Cosur-Joie", which had a melissa like top note.

Uses : Infusions are made from the herb; the oil has several names (Oil of Balm, Oil of Lemon Balm, Oil of Melissa Balam, Oil of Balm Mint, Oil of Melissa Officinalis) and is used as a sedative in alternative medicine.

Cultivation details : Planting is usually 40,000 plants/Ha. with propagation from seed. The plants have a life of 10 years but are usually replaced every five years with crop rotation to rejuvenate the soil. Propagation in the northern hemisphere is from April to July.

Harvesting period : In the first year the crop is in August, thereafter two crops are experienced. The first in June and the second in August.

Harvesting methods : Usually by hand on a clear warm day as the leaves will turn black if harvested wet. For good appearance leaves should not be left in the sun.

Post harvest treatment, preservation, storage pre-treatment : Weed control is recommended (Pank). It has been reported that, in Kashmir and Egypt, irradiating seeds has an effect on growth, essential oil content and composition. The quantity of herb was reduced but the oil content was increased, with the irradiation dosage varying the proportion of the constituents.

Preservation and storage : The oil should be stored in filled sealed containers, out of light and kept cool. The oil is subject to oxidation.

Processing method : Stainless Steel steam distillation retorts equipped for cohobation should be used to increase the yield.

Composition of oil : Many reports exist regarding the composition. An analysis, from New Zealand, given for Melissa officinalis L. subsp altissima (Dawson) not only gives a yield 0.33% but constituents totally different from those of Melissa officinalis L. subsp officinalis.

A summary of the composition is given by Lawrence as follows:

Compounds Percentage range

Methyl Heptenone 2.2 - 8.6

Citronellal 1.0 - 8.4

Linalool 0.5 - 2.7

Neral 19.6 - 36.1

Geranial 25.3 - 47.5

Geranyl Acetate 1.2 - 6.2

1.9 - 9.7

Carophyllene oxide 0.5 - 9.0

EQUIPMENT

Forage Harvester

Stainless steel distillation equipment

Melissa officinalis - Lemon Balm seedlings are available

For further information if you are interested in purchasing Seeds/Plants from the Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre, or to request more information :
email us. jkmpic@gmail.com, jkmpic@yahoo.in

Home: http://jkmpic.blogspot.com

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) seeds

English name : Seabuckthorn, Himalayan Details: Much branched spiny shurb, leaves oblong lanceolate or linear, silvery white beneath. Flowers one sexed occuring on different plants. Fruit orange red 6mm. Distribution : China, Mongolia, Russia, Germany, Canada, Iran and Kashmir Satus: Un-common Ecological notes: Grows in riverine sandy soils. Chemical composition Juice The fruit of the sea buckthorn plant weighs between 270 and 480 mg and averages 350 mg depending upon cultivar and maturity (Li 1999). Pressing these berries yields 60% to 85% juice. Juice yield of 67% has been reported derived from centrifugal methods (Heilscher and Lorber 1996). The juice is very high in organic acids as reflected in the high levels of titratable acidity, and has a low pH (near 2.7). Quantitatively the most important organic acid is malic acid, but there several other minor acids have been reported (Beveridge et al. 1999). Protein levels are fairly high for a fruit juice and this probably explains the fact that sea buckthorn juice is a cloudy or opalescent product. Vitamin C content has been reported as high as 600 mg/100 g of fruit. Vitamin E content is 160 mg/100 g of fruit (Bernath and Foldesi 1992). Pulp and seeds contain triglyceride oils with important medicinal value such as superoxide dismutase activity in mice, which enhance the activity of NK cells in tumor bearing mice (Dai et al. 1987; Chen 1991; Degtyareva et al. 1991). Oil There are two sources of oil in sea buckthorn fruit: the seed which contains 10%–15% (w/w) oil and the pulpy fruit parts surrounding the seed which contains 29%–48% oil (T.S.C. Li, unpubl. data). Both pulp and seed oils from sea buckthorn vary in vitamin E content depending on whether derived from seed oil (64.4 to 92.7 mg/100 g seed), juice oil (216 mg/100 g berry), or from the pulp after juice and seed removal (481 mg/100 g berry). Carotenoids also vary depending upon the source of the oil. The seed oils are highly unsaturated with up to 73% or more of the fatty acids making up the oil being linoleic or linolenic (Oomah et al. 1999). Pulp oil is more saturated with about 38% of the fatty acids being palmitic, and 14%–50% of the fatty acids being palmitoleic acid. The difference between seed and pulp oil seems to lie in the relatively high content of C16 fatty acids in the pulp oil and the relatively high proportion of C18 fatty acids in the seed oil. Phytosterols Phytosterols are plant sterols with structures related to cholesterol and which are capable of lowering plasma cholesterol on consumption by humans. Elevated blood cholesterol is one of the well established risk factors for coronary heart disease and lowering this indicator can presumably impact heart disease incidence (Thurnham 1999). Phytosterols are the major constituents of the unsaponifiable fraction of sea buckthorn oils. The major phytosterol in sea buckthorn oil is sitosterol (b-sitosterol), with 5-avenasterol second in quantitative importance. Other phytosterols are present in relatively minor quantities. The total quantity of phytosterol is quite high in sea buckthorn and may exceed soybean oil by 4–20 times. It was reported that the total sterol content, varied between subspecies and collection sites, in the seeds, fresh pulp/peel, and the whole berries were 1200–1800, 240–400, and 340–520 mg/kg, respectively (Yang et al. 2001). Clearly, as a source of dietary sterol, sea buckthorn is worthy of further consideration. Sea Buckthorn cultivation : Sea buckthorn normally is transplanted or directly seeded in the fall or spring. It grows best in deep, well drained, sandy loam soil with ample organic matter. In arid or semiarid regions, water must be supplied for establishment. Soil acidity and alkalinity, except at extreme levels, are not limiting factors, although it thrives best at pH 6 to 7. Sea buckthorn is sensitive to severe soil moisture deficits, especially in spring when plants are flowering and young fruits are beginning to develop. Sea buckthorn, like other crops, requires adequate soil nutrients for a high yield with better quality berries. It responds well to phosphorus fertilizer (T.S.C. Li unpubl. data). Nitrogen fertilization can adversely affect root nodulation and it delays the development of nodules after inoculation with Frankia (Akkermans et al. 1983; Montpetit and Lalonde 1988; Bosco et al. 1992). Recommended plant spacing for sea buckthorn varies, regions with lower land values and bigger machines may consider larger spacing. In British Columbia, 1 m within the row and 4 m between rows was recommended. Rows should be oriented in a north-south direction to provide maximum light. The ratio of male to female plants is important for maximizing fruit set. Recommendations for male : female ratios vary with plant density and region. In Kashmir, with an orchard planting of 2500 trees/ha, a 1 male : 6–8 females ratio is considered adequate. Sea buckthorn flowers are wind pollinated. Moderate pruning is required to maximize yield and reduce yearly fluctuations. The crown should be pruned annually to remove overlapping branches, and long branches should be headed to encourage lateral shoot development. Weed control is very important in sea buckthorn planting, especially for promoting growth of newly planted seedlings (Li and Schroeder 1999). Planting/seed materials are always available for research purpose: For more details:- Sheikh GULZAAR Head The JK Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR JK 190001 R&D division : Sonamarag (Kashmir) Ph: (Resi) 01933-223705 Mob: 09858986794 e-mail: jkmpic@gmail.com home: http://jkmpic.blogspot.com

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Horticulture in Kashmir

The state of Jammu and Kashmir is three administrative regions, i.e. Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. The state is divided into 5 physiographic regions i.e. Trans Himalayas, Greater Himalayas, Lesser Himalayas, Shiwaliks and Plains which have been further divided into 9 landforms and they are enumerated below:

Glaciers
Hills and Plateaus of Trans-Himalayas
Hills of Greater Himalayas
Hills of Lesser Himalayas
Hill of Shiwaliks
Narrow Valleys
Broad Valleys
Piedmont Plains
Alluvial Plains

The Geo-agroclimatic diversity of the Kashmir offers vast potential for cultivating various kinds and varieties of fruits throughout its length and breadth. The state of Kashmir has four distinct Agro Climatic Zones i.e. Sub-tropical, Intermediate (Sub-temperate), Temperate and Cold Arid Zone. Such an orientation of fruit growing to this varied type of climate formed the corner stone of strategy for development of Horticulture in the state of Kashmir.

Kashmir which is famous for the cultivation of temperate fruits like apple, pear, cherry, plum, apricort, peach, almond, walnut, Kiwi-Actinide fotidae, Pecannut, Strwberry, Zaitoon-Olea europaea, Olive, Hazelnut, Goji berry, Sea Buckthorn etc.

Planting/seed materials are always available for research purpose:

For more details:-

Sheikh GULZAAR

Head

The JK Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre

POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR JK 190001

R&D division : Sonamarag (Kashmir)

Ph: (Resi) 01933-223705

Mob: 09858986794

e-mail: jkmpic@gmail.com

home: http://jkmpic.blogspot.com

Friday, February 17, 2012

Kashmiri Prisoner in Kolkata's Guantanamo Bay

State Brutality knows no Frontiers: Kashmiri Prisoner in Kolkata's Guantanamo Bay

Amit Bhattacharyya

Secretary General, Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners(CRPP)

(On 31 October 2010, the Hindustan Times, Kolkata edition published a front-page report captioned "Kolkata's Guantanamo Bay" where it was reported that on October 15,when the entire city was celebrating Saptami during the Pujas, Sheikh Farhat Mehmood, a 29-year-old Kashmiri under-trial prisoner lodged in Presidency Jail, Kolkata, West Bengal, was stripped, tortured and kept naked throughout the night in his cell: Mehboob's offence: he protested against the quality of food and demanded his basic rights according to jail rule. Following the 'punishment', Farhat observed a two-day hunger-strike in the jail. The matter was hushed up by the Presidency jail authorities. The picture of the prisoner in a naked state was published in the paper. On the next day-1 November-the Bandi Mukti Committee(Committee for the Release of Prisoners, a human rights forum based in West Bengal) organized a demonstration against it and took out a procession comprising about 100 people and went to the Presidency Jail gate and demonstrated. They were denied permission to meet Farhat. On 2 November 2010, the HindustanTimes, Kolkata edition came out with another report which I am sending to you all for conveying the message that state brutality knows no frontiers and that there are many Guantanamo Bays in 'the land of the largest democracy of the world' also. Such acts of brutality, sadistic torture, deserve universal condemnation and should not go unpunished.)

The said report is as follows:

"Protests over Jail Stripping" ht Impact

Kolkata: The jail department initiated a probe on Monday, even as it denied any incident of stripping of a prisoner inside Presidency Jail. On Sunday, Hindustan Times reported a case of stripping of Sheikh Farhat Megmood, a 29-year-old under-trial from Srinagar, inside his solitary cell on the night of October 15.

The situation has taken a curious turn, with the Srinagar Bar association calling a press conference at the Sadar Court at Lalchowk, Srinagar, on Tuesday to condemn the incident.

"Such incidents should be condemned and the guilty must immediately be punished. We've called a press conference to highlight the issue", said Ajaj Dadar, vice-president of the association.

"We've initiated a probe. There's been no torture or stripping. It may be that, somehow, the inmate took his own pictures on a cell phone and sent it out", said BD Sharma, ADG(Prisons) at Writers Buildings.

However, Sharma could not clarify several pertinent points. Even if his point is accepted, why would Mehboob strip himself? How could he take his own photograph when he was trying to cover himself with both hands? How could someone enter the cell of a high security prisoner with a cell phone and take his naked picture?

On the question of a cell phone being sneaked into the solitary cell, Sharma said, "We're looking into it. We have to look after so many thousand inmates and have just a handful of staff". He, however, said the department would write to the government to spped up Farhat's trial.

On Monday, human rights organization Bandi Mukti Committee demonstrated outside Presidency Jail demanding that the jail authorities stop treating inmates brutally. The organization took out a rally to protest against the incident. About 100 activists marched to Presidency Jail and demonstrated against the atrocities.

Chhoton Das, secretary of the committee, said, "We've submitted a deputation to the jail superintendent. We wanted to meet the inmate, but were not allowed. Our main demand is punishment of the person guilty of torturing Mehmood".

Monday, February 6, 2012

Wild flowers of Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre-JKMPIC, is a pioneer institution to start cultivation of important indigenous medicinal plants and introduce many from other parts of the world. A preliminary study on cultivation of medicinal plants in Jammu and Kashmir was from this institution. Subsequently lot of work on cultivation and improvement was done on selected plants by different scientists and a consolidated account on cultivation and utilization of these plants was published (Sheikh GULZAAR, 2002 & 2007).

Availability of Seed/Planting material for research purpose only

(The following seeds and planting material is available for distribution/purchase for Research institutions, universities, associations and NGOs)

Angelica glauca

Anagallis arvensis

Abelmoschus moschatus

Acacia auriculaformis

Aconitum heterophyllum

Acrocarpus fraxinifolius

Aesculus hippocastanum

Amaranathus caudatus Linn

Anacardium occidentale

Anagallis arvensis

Andrographis paniculata

Angelica cashmeriana

Angelica glauca

Angelica-Corinne tremaine

Anthocephalus cadamba

Antirrhinum majas

Arachniodes davaliformis

Artabotrys odoratissimus

Artemisia absinthium

Artocarpus chaplasha

Artocarpus integrifolia

Asparagus officinalis

Barringtonia acutangula

Brassica rapa- Turnip

Broussonetia papyrifera

Butea monosperma

Buxus wallichiana

Caeselpinia pulcherrima

Cajanus cajan

Calendula officinalis

Callistemon vimminalis

Casuarina equisetifolia

Chickrassia tabularis

Chorisia speciosa

Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium

Cichorium intybus

Cinnamomum camphora

Clerodendron infortunatum

Crocus flavus

Crocus sativus Linn

Dendrocalamus strictus

Derris robusta

Descurainia sophia

Dianthus anatolicus

Dianthus caryophyllus Linn

Dichanthium annulatum

Digitalis lanata

Digitalis purpurea

Dillenia indica

Dioscorea deltoidea-Yam

Diospyros melanoxylon

Elaeo carpus granitrus

Euphorbia helioscopia

Elaeocarpus ganitrus

Embelia ribes

Emblica officinalis Linn

Enterolobium contortisiliquium

Eriobotrya japonica

Erythrina indica

Eucalyptus citriodora

Euphorbia helioscopia

Holarrhenna antidysentrica

Jacaranda mimmosifolia

Koelreuteria paniculata

Lavandulla officinalis

Lavatera cashmeriana

Lawsonia alba

Lawsonia inermis

Leucaena leucocephala

Linum usitatissimum

Litchi chinensis

Livistona chinensis

Livistona jenkinsiana

Lycium barbarum

Lavandula officinalis

Magnolia grandiflora

Mallotus philippinensis

Malus bacatta

Malva sylvestris Linn

Millingtonia hortensis

Mimosa pudica

Mimusops elengi

Mitragyana parvifolia

Nigella sativa- Kalonji

Nyctanthes arbortristis

Peltophorum africanum

Plantago ovata-Ispaghul

Platanus orientalis

Platanus orientalis-Chinar

Podophyllum hexandrum

Polyalthia longifolia

Pterocarpus marsupium

Pterocarpus santalinus

Pterocarpus dalbergioides

Pterospermum acerfolium

Rheum emodi Revand chini

Rhododendron arboreum

Rosmarinus officinalis

Semecarpus anacardium

Swietenia macrophylla

Terminalia myriocarpa

Thespesia populnea

Thevetia nerifolia

Thuja orientalis

Thunbergia grandiflora

Toona ciliata

Trewia nudiflora

Typha angustata-Typha

Ziziphus jujuba-Indian Jojoba

ABOUT OUR SEEDS

The Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre-JKMPIC specialises in seeds and plants that are the backbone of organic and permaculture systems. These include a wide range of open-pollinated, heirloom medicinal, fruit, herbal, vegetable seeds, rare edibles, living mulches, green manures and insectary plants for beneficial insects.

SEED QUALITY

We specialise in high quality seed with a guaranteed viability and purity and so we appreciate very much when gardeners let us if know they have an occasional problem with seed germination. This allows us to further improve our growing information and triggers additional germination testing to pinpoint any problems. Germination testing is carried out on a regular basis to check that the viability of seed is being maintained throughout the year.

OPEN POLLINATED SEEDS/Non-hybrid

Our seeds are nearly all open-pollinated and so are able to be grown again from seed you save yourself. Open-pollinated seeds are genetically diverse treasures that have been passed on from generation to generation. When you buy and plant open-pollinated seeds you are helping to protect this valuable resource for the future.

SEED SAVING

Saving open-pollinated (OP) seeds protects our global food heritage.Growing open pollinated seeds and saving some for next year's crop is a practical and economical option for home gardeners.

HEIRLOOM SEEDS

Most of our open-pollinated seeds are also considered heirloom or heritage seed. These are herb, flower and vegetable varieties that were bred and handed down by generations of gardeners and farmers. These varieties have stood the test of time, gardeners have saved them year after year because they were recognised for their superior qualities such as great flavour, good yield or disease resistance.

SEED PACKING

Our seeds are packed in simple plain paper, 90 mm x 145 mm, re-sealable packets with an inner cliplock plastic bag that is also resealable. Our intention is to avoid as much as possible glossy paper and full-colour printing due to its greater environmental impact. The paper packets can be composted. The inner cliplock bag helps greatly to maintain the seed's viability as it resists moisture far better than just a paper packet alone. Each Packet contains 50-100 seeds.

GROWING INFORMATION

Seed packets are printed with detailed growing information to help you with successful seed raising. In addition a free leaflet Successful Seed Raising Guide is provided with each seed purchase.

SEED TREATMENT

Please be aware that much of the seed retailed in South Asia is chemically treated with fungicides. The JK Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre does not use chemical treatments, our organic solution to weevils is diatomaceous earth, the grey, powdery coating on some of our seeds. Sometimes a hot water seed treatment is worthwhile if you have been having persistent disease problems.

Effective 01/02/2012 / Due to the volatility of shortages in the seed markets, Prices can change on a semi daily bases. Please place your order we will notify you of higher or lower prices on your purchase date.