PANTNAGAR AND GARUR BAIJNATH RESEARCH CENTERS IMPARTING TRAINING ON CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
सीएसआईआर- केंद्रीय औषधीय एवं सगंध पौधा संस्थान, अनुसंधान केंद्र, पंतनगर, की स्थापना फरवरी 1963 में सेंट्रल इंडियन मेडिसिनल प्लांट्स ऑर्गनाइजेशन (सिम्पो) के नॉर्दर्न जोनल सेंटर के नाम से हल्द्वानी में उधमसिंह नगर के तराई क्षेत्र में खेत (50 एकड़) के साथ की गई थी और 1967 तक 286 एकड़ तक बढ़ाया गया। 1979 में, कार्यालय भवन के निर्माण के बाद इसे वर्तमान स्थान पर स्थानांतरित कर दिया गया। सीएसआईआर-सीमैप, अनुसंधान केंद्र, पंतनगर उत्तर भारत की तलहटी में निर्देशांक 29 ᵒN, 79.38 ᵒE और 243.84 मीटर की ऊंचाई पर स्थित है। इस जगह की जलवायु उपोष्णकटिबंधीय है जिसमें गर्म और आर्द्र गर्मी और ठंडी सर्दी होती है। अधिकतम तापमान 35-45 ᵒC के बीच और न्यूनतम 2-5 ᵒC के बीच औसत वर्षा 1350 मिमी के बीच होती है। मिट्टी बनावट में दोमट मिट्टी है और प्रतिक्रिया में तटस्थ है (पीएच 7.1)। अनुसंधान केंद्र, पंतनगर का इलाका काफी उपजाऊ है, जो इसे अनुसंधान, परीक्षण और वाणिज्य और गुणवत्ता रोपण सामग्री के उत्पादन के उद्देश्य से औषधीय और सुगंधित पौधों (एमएपी) की खेती के लिए उपयुक्त बनाता है। केंद्र का मुख्य उद्देश्य एमएपी के क्षेत्र में की जाने वाली वर्तमान गतिविधियों को उपयोगी दिशाओं में प्रसारित करना है। यह केंद्र राजमार्गों, रेलवे और वायुमार्गों से भी अच्छी तरह से जुड़ा हुआ है, जिससे लखनऊ स्थित मुख्यालय, पुरारा अनुसंधान केंद्र और दिल्ली, राज्य की राजधानी देहरादून और अन्य आस-पास के स्थानों से आसानी से पहुँचा जा सकता है। जी.बी. पंत कृषि और प्रौद्योगिकी विश्वविद्यालय किसी भी सहयोगी अनुसंधान कार्य को संभव बनाने और विश्वविद्यालय के केवीके के माध्यम से कृषक समुदायों तक प्रौद्योगिकियों को पहुंचाने के लिए केंद्र के बहुत करीब है। इसके अलावा, डिस्टिलेशन यूनिट, बॉयलर, वर्मी-कम्पोस्ट यूनिट और कृषि उपकरण जैसी मौजूदा बुनियादी सुविधाएं केंद्र में चल रही गतिविधियों को काफी अधिक कुशल और प्रभावी बनाती हैं। केंद्र औषधीय और सुगंधित पौधों के संग्रह, संरक्षण, रूपात्मक और रासायनिक लक्षण वर्णन जैसी प्रमुख गतिविधियों में लगा हुआ हैय एमएपी का आनुवंशिक सुधार विशेष रूप से पुदीना, सुगंधित घास, सतावर, क्लैरीसेज, सिलीबम, गुलाब, कालमेघ आदि। कृषि प्रौद्योगिकी विकासय गुणवत्ता रोपण सामग्री (क्यूपीएम) का बड़े पैमाने पर उत्पादनय एमएपी की कटाई उपरांत प्रौद्योगिकियों का विकासय कृषि सलाह और एमएपी की खेती को बढ़ावा देनाय किसानों और उद्यमियों के लिए प्रशिक्षणध्जागरूकता और फील्ड प्रदर्शनय एमएपी को बढ़ावा देकर कृषि उद्यमिता का विकास।
-By- Usha Rawat
Some Central Ministries/Departments/Institutes are supporting various research programmes for the improvements, cultivation and harvest of suitable flowers, medicinal plants for scent and medicinal use and development of drugs in the country including in Uttaranchal and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow- a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has established two field stations for research purpose in the state of Uttarakhand, one near Pantnagar in District – Udhamsingh Nagar and the other near Garur Baijnath in District – Bageshwar. These centers have been carrying out research on improvement and utilization of medicinal and aromatic plants in the region along with imparting training to the farmers on cultivation of improved varieties of medicinal and aromatic plants.
For the supporting various research programmes for conservation of herbs/roots, flowers of medicinal importance in Jammu and Kashmir State. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research through one of its institutes i.e Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) in Jammu which has a branch in Srinagar (J&K), is involved in the conservation of some important and endangered species of medicinal plants/parts.
The Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has commissioned a pilot project entitled “Technology dissemination, commercialization and utilization of geranium cultivation through processing and value addition of end products in Uttarakhand at bio-village level” through CIMAP, Lucknow. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has supported a project on field demonstration of improved agrotechnology including processing of Damask rose and pyrethrum in Uttarakhand state. A project on conservation and propagation of orchids of medicinal importance has also been supported at the High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre, Srinagar – Garhwal. Two more DBT-sponsored projects, on the genetic diversity and large scale propagation methods of two medicinal plants (Aconitum and Rheum complex) and on the in vitro propagation of four endemic medicinal species of Himalayas has been recently completed at High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre, Srinagar – Garhwal and the G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora, respectively.
The main objective of the centre is to channelize the present activities carried out in the field of MAPs in fruitful directions. The centre is also well connected with highways, railways and airways, making it easily accessible from its headquarters at Lucknow, Purara Research Centre and also from Delhi, state capital Dehradun and other adjacent places. The G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology is very near to the center to make any collaborative research work possible and for making the technologies reachable to the farming communities through University’s KVKs. In addition, existing infrastructures like distillation units, boilers, Vermi-compost unit and agricultural implements make the undergoing activities at centre considerably more efficient and effective. The center is engaged in major activities like collection, conservation, morphological and chemical characterization of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants; Genetic improvement of MAPs especially mints, aromatic grasses, satawar, clarysage, silybum, rose, kalmegh etc. Agro technology developments; large scale production of Quality Planting Materials (QPMs); development of post harvest technologies of MAPs; Agro advisory and promotion of MAPs cultivation; training/awareness and field demonstrations for the farmers and entrepreneurs; agro entrepreneurships development by promoting MAPs.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has established a gene bank for conservation of medicinal plants of western Himalayan Region including that of Jammu and Kashmir at Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Jammu. Field gene banks have been established at Jammu (Sub-tropical), Bonera (temperate) and Leh (cold-arid) regions for conservation of the genetic resources of medicinal plants of Western Himalayas. A seed bank and in vitro bank has also been developed. One more DBT-sponsored project on conservation and multiplication of engangered medicinal plant diversity of Kashmir Himalayas has been recently completed at Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Shalimar-Srinagar. Another DBT-sponsored project is being implemented by Kashmir University, Srinagar on collection and conservation of important medicinal plants of Jammu and Kashmir region.
Beside this a number of agencies are supporting various research programmes towards development of new drugs and molecules from important medicinal plants. These include Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopath, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy (AYUSH); Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO); Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Under the programmes supported by CSIR, two herbal formulations have developed as hepatoprotective agents. Other developments include Dilex-C (licensed to M/s Unichem Laboratories, Mumbai) which dialates cervix for medical termination of pregnancy; CONSOAP – contraceptive cream (licensed to M/s Hindustan Latex Limited, Thiruvananthapuram); Arteether – antimalarial drug (licensed to M/s Themis Medicare, Mumbai as E-mal); Picroliv – hepatroprotective drug (licenced to M/s Duphar Interfron, Mumbai) and a memory enhancer (licensed to M/s Lumen Marketing Company, Chennai). The ICMR is presently engaged in development of drug from Vijaysar and compounds from Jamun for diabetes. Under a project supported by DST, a novel oligospirostanoside having potential immunomodulatory activity has been developed from Shatavari.
Under the projects supported by DBT, various potential therapeutic agents have been developed from important medicinal plants. These include an immunomodualatory agent (berberin) from Daruharida; a novel peptide from Bitter gourd (Kerala), having hypoglycemic activity, a phenolic glycoside from Neem bark having potential activity against hyperacidity and gastric ulceration; anti-cancer agents from bel, Nirgandi and Lal-bhuin anvalah. Some of these lead agents have been further taken up for converting into drugs. Some Indian Pharma companies have also developed new molecules from Reetha and Satyanasi for migraine and psoriasis respectively which have been cleared for Phase-I clinical trials.
CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Research Centre, Pantnagar, was set up in February 1963 by the name of Northern Zonal Centre of Central Indian Medicinal Plants Organization (CIMPO) at Haldwani with farm (50 acres) in Terai region of Udhamsingh Nagar and extended to 286 acres by 1967. In 1979, it was shifted to the present location after construction of office building.