Soil: Ashwagandha grows well in sandy loamy or light red soil, having pH of 7.5 to 8.0 with good drainage. Black soils or such heavy soils are suitable for cultivation.
Climate: Ashwagandha is grown as late rainy season (kharif) crop. The semi-tropical areas receiving 500 to 750 mm rainfall are suitable for its cultivation as rainfed crop. If one or two winter rains are received, the root development improves. The crop requires relatively dry season during its growing period. Ashwagandha can tolerate a temperature range of 20^oC to 38^oC and even low temperature as low as 10^oC. The plant grows from sea level to an altitude of 1,500 meter above sea level.
Varieties: The Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalay, Madhya Pradesh, has released one variety with high alkaloid, "Jawahar" which is short in stature and most amenable for high density planting. The variety yields in 180 days and yields a total with anolides content of 0.30 per cent in dry roots.

Ashwagandha is a shrub, normally found everywhere in India especially in northwestern part of the sub continent, but is now a days cultivated in fields because of its great commercial demand. Plant size varies from 1 to 5 ft.

• Nursery raising: Ashwagandha is propagated by seeds. Fresh seeds are sown in well prepared nursery beds. Although Ashwagandha can be sown by broadcast method in the main field, transplanting method is preferred for better quality and for exports. For export, a well maintained nursery is a prerequisite. The nursery bed usually raised from ground level is prepared by thorough mixing with compost and sand. About 5 kg of seeds are required for planting in 1 hectare of the mainfield. Nursery is raised in India, in the month of June or July. Seeds are treated in carbendazim to control wilt and seed borne diseases. Seeds are sown just before the onset of monsoon and covered thinly using sand. The seeds germinate in 5 to 7 days. About 35 days old seedlings are transplanted in the main field.

• Field Preparation: 2 to 3 ploughing and discing and / or harrowing should be done before rains. The land is well ploughed and pulverized and brought to a fine tilth. 10 to 20 tons of farm yard manure is applied. Field is then levelled.

• Transplanting: After the manures are incorporated in the soil, ridges are prepared at 60 cm spacing. Healthy seedlings are planted at spacing of 30 cm. In some places, 60 cm x 60 cm or 45 cm x 30 cm spacing is also followed. However, a spacing of 60 cm x 30 cm with a plant population of about 55,000 seedlings per hectare is considered optimum.

• Seed Requirement and Sowing Method: A seed rate of 10 to 12 kg per hectare is sufficient for broadcasting method. The seeds can be sown in lines also. Line to line method is preferred as this method increases root production and helps in performing intercultural operations smoothly. The seeds are usually sown about 1 to 3 cm deep. Seeds should be covered with light soil in both the methods. Line to line distance of 20 to 25 cm and plant to plant distance of 8 to 10 cm should be maintained. According to soil fertility, in fertile soil, distance can be extended.

• Treatment of Seed: Seed should be treated with thirum or dithane M45 (Inofil M45) at the rate of 3 gms / kg of seeds before sowing to protect the seedlings from the seed borne diseases.

• Thinning and Weeding: Grown up seedlings raised by sowing by broadcasting method or in line in furrows, should be thinned out by hand 25 to 30 days after sowing the seeds, to maintain a plant population of about 30 to 60 plants per square meter. The plant density to be maintained finally may depend on the nature and fertility of the soil. On marginal soil, the high population is maintained. If some fertilizer is applied, the population should preferably be kept at lower level. Generally two weedings are required to keep the field free from weeds, the first within 20 to 25 days of sowing the and the other after 20 to 25 days of the first weeding.

• Manures and Fertilizers: The crop does not require heavy doses of manures and fertilizers. Ashwagandha responds well to organic manures and addition of 10 tons FYM and 1 ton of vermicompost per hectare is recommended. Application of 15 kg of Nitrogen and 15 kg of Phosphorous per hectare is beneficial for higher production.

• Irrigation: Excessive rainfall or water is harmful for this crop. Light shower after transplantation ensures better establishment of seedlings. Life saving irrigation may be applied, if required. Under irrigated conditions, the crop can be irrigated once in 10 days.

• Pests and Diseases: No serious pest is reported incase of this crop. Whenever the crop is damaged by insects, 2 to 3 sprays of rogor or nuvan should be applied @0.6%. A combination of 0.5% malathion and 0.1% to 0.3% kelthane as foliar spray at 10 to 15 days interval, was found highly useful for aphids, mites and insect attack. Diseases like seedling rock and blight are observed. Seedling mortality becomes severe under high temperature and humid conditions. Diseases can be minimised by use of disease free seeds and proper seed treatment, before sowing as stated earlier. Carbofuran should be applied @2 to 2.5 kg / hectare at the time of sowing. Neem cake also can be applied. Neem Cake will save root damage done by nematodes and insects. Further, adoption of crop rotation, timely sowing and keeping field well drained also protects the crop.

• Harvesting: Maturity of the crop is judged by drying out of leaves and yellow-red berries. Flowering and bearing of fruits starts from December onwards. The crop is harvested for roots by digging in January to March, 150 to 180 days after sowing. There should be moisture in soil at the time of digging. Roots are dug out or ploughed using power tiller or a country plough. The tap root should be carefully pulled out, without damaging even the small lateral roots.

• The roots are separated from the aerial portion by cutting the stem 1 to 2 cm above the ground. After digging, the roots are washed, cut into small pieces, 7 to 10 cm long and dried in sun or shed. Roots should be dried to 10 to 12% moisture content. Root pieces can be graded in following 3 to 4 grades as per its length and thickness.

  Grade of Root	Description
  A	Root pieces upto 7 cm and diameter upto 1.0 to 1.5 cm, solid, bright and pure white.
  B	Root pieces upto 5 cm and diameter upto 1 cm, bright and white.
  C	Root pieces upto 3-4 cms in length, diameter less than 1 cm, solid, side branches.
  Lower	Small root pieces, semi-solid, very thick, yellowish, chopped.

  The superior grade has stout and long root which fetches premium price. To avoid moisture and fungal attack on the dried roots, Ashwagandha roots should be stored in tin containers. Berries are hand plucked separately. They are dried and crushed to take out the seeds.

• Yield: On an average, the yield from 1 hectare of commercial cultivation is approximately 300 to 500 kgs / hectare of dry roots and 50 to 75 kgs / hectare of seeds. A maximum yield can be procured upto 650 to 700 kgs / hectare. There are instances where farmers have achieved root yields as high as 1 ton / hectare. Commercially, root species 6 to 15 mm in diameter and 70 to 100 mm long are better. Alkaloid percentage in roots ranges from 0.13 to 0.31%.

• Income: The unit cost for development of 1 hectare of transplanted Ashwagandha cultivation, in India, is Rs.22,400, while the income from roots is Rs. 35,000. The income from seeds is Rs. 3,600. Hence net income is 16,200 per hectare.

Ashwagandha Roots Suplier:
Carmel Organics Private Limited, Survey number 780, Village Barukheda, Dist Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, India, 458441. Shailendra@carmelorganics.in
Ajinath Shinde, Sonval Technologies Pvt.Ltd., Mohol maharashtra 413213. ajinath.shinde35@gmail.com.
M. Siddalinga, Dist. Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, 91-81976 72026, 83742 87633, balu3821@gmail.com
For supply from Africa contact: Nilesh Sthanakiya, Everest International, everestintl16@gmail.com