Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Chia is easy to grow, beautiful to look at, and offers lots of nutritional value. It deserves a place in any garden. I have been growing chia organically for the past ten years, and in that time I have fine-tuned my growing and harvesting techniques. Chia is one of the easiest plants to grow, and one of the healthiest. Chia seeds are a very high source of linolenic acid (LNA) and linoleic acid (LA). Both these essential fatty acids attract oxygen and help cell membranes to be flexible and fluid, plus strengthen our immune system to help protect our bodies from viruses, bacteria, and allergies. Most people's diets are dangerously low in essential fatty acids, which results in tired muscles, fatigue, and a range of health problems. We need to eat EFAs daily because the human body cannot manufacture them. If your diet includes a lot of refined oils and processed foods, you are most at risk. EFAs, such as those found in chia, ...

It’s now possible to produce large and consistent quantities and quality of food using revolutionary vertical farming methods. But are there enough indoor farming advantages to make it the future of modern agriculture? In this article, Cambridge HOK examines why vertical farming could have a big role to play in the future of global food production. 1. Reliable year-round crop production The biggest vertical farming benefit is the fact it’s not dependent on the weather – meaning you can achieve a consistent year-round crop production without worrying about the impact of adverse weather conditions can have both on quality and profiling of production and yield. Farming in a protected, well-monitored and managed environment brings assurance and peace of mind for growers providing repeatable programmable production. By eliminating the effects of mother nature, there’s no such thing as a 'seasonal crop' and growers won’t suffer from losses as they try to push the production windows o...

Lemongrass is a tall, perennial grass native to the tropical and sub-tropical climates of South East Asia and Africa. India is the highest producer of lemongrass, where it is cultivated along with the mountain range of the Western Ghats(Maharashtra, Kerala), Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states and beside the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the Himalayan mountains. The so-called East Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) , also known as Malabar or Cochin grass is native to India, SriLanka, Burma, and Thailand; for the related West Indian lemongrass (C. citratus ), a Malaysian origin is generally assumed. Both species are today cultivated throughout tropical Asia. The Lemongrass oil is distilled from leaves and flowering tops of Lemongrass. The oil has a strong lemon-like odor, due to a high percentage ( over 75%) of citral in the oil. The characteristic smell of oil makes its use in scenting of soaps, detergents, insect repellent preparati...

The commercial essential oil of chamomile is known as Blue oil and it is obtained from its shade dried flowers by steam distillation. German chamomile is botanically known as Matricaria chamomilla L, apart from this species two other chamomile species found in the world, i.e. Roman or English Egyptian chamomile and Moroccan chamomile. It is used in perfumery as well as medicinal importance like face creams and sun burn and flavoring fine liquor. As medicine, the plant possesses antispasmodic, antichloristic and attenuate properties. Extract of chamomile is also useful in stomach disorders, cure of ulcer and healing of wounds. Flowers are extensively used as herbal tea and it is very common in china. The plant is native to Europe and has been used in folk and traditional system of medicine in Europe and Arab for thousands of years.In India, the plant was introduced by Arabs and has been grown on limited scale around Lucknow for more than three hundred years. The estimated world producti...

Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentina) is used in Ayurveda , Unani and folk medicines as well as in conventional western medicine. This plant is also known as Indian Snakeroot; in Sanskrit as Sarpagandha, Chandrika, Sarpakshi , Patalguruda; in Hindi as Chandrabhaga, Chota-chand, Sarpagandha; in Assamese as Arachoritita; in Bangla as Chandra; in Kannada as Sarpangandha, Sarpagandhi, Shivanabhiballi, Sutranavi, Patalagandhi; in Malayalam as Churannavilpori, Suvapavalporiyam; in Marathi as Harkaya: Harki; in Tamil as Chevanamalpodi; and in Telugu as Patalaguni, Patalagaruda, Sarpagandha. The plant contains a number of bioactive chemicals, including ajmaline , deserpidine , rescinnamine , serpentinine , and yohimbine . The alkaloids in the plant reduce blood pressure, depress activity of central nervous system and act as hypnotics. The useful parts are roots and leaves. According to Ayurveda the root is bitter, acrid, sharp, pungent and anthelminic. Rauvolfia preparations are used as antihyper...

every kilogram of morel would cost between 20,000 and 40,000, depending on its quality and harvest. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Morel Mushrooms What are Morels? Morels are one of the most desired wild mushrooms in the world. They are not farmed like most grocery store mushrooms, Cremini, Portobello, Oyster, etc. but gathered in the wild. The part that we eat is the fruiting body of the underground organism called mycelium that has a complex symbiotic relationship with trees. Every spring mushroom enthusiasts, foraging chefs, and an ever growing group of commercial harvesters hunt these little forest treasures. The Morchella genus has been the subject of fascination and debate for centuries. Mycologists (mushroom scientists) cannot agree on how many subspecies of Morchella there are and the nomenclature is constantly under revision. However, doesn’t “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet?” Everyone can agree that morels are delicious and nutr...

KALIHARI / GLORY LILY Plant Profile Family : Wurmbaeoidae of Liliaceae English name : Glory Lily Indian name : Langali, Visalya (Sanskrit)  Kalihari, Languli (Hindi)  Agnishike, Gowrihoovu, Akkatangiballi (Kannada)  Kalappaikkilanku, Nabhikkodi (Tamil) Species : Gloriosa superba Linn. Distribution : Indian, Africa, Asia, Indochina  Madagascar, Sir Lanka, USA MEDICINAL PROPERTIES AND USES • Seeds are rich source of Colchicine used against gout, rheumatism and in botanical researches inducing polyploidy. • The tubers are sued as tonic, antipatriotic, antihelmenthic and also against snake bite in Indian systems of medicine.  PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY SOIL • In Southern India, it is found growing successfully in red or black loamy soils with medium water holding capacity and good drainage. • A soil pH range between 6-7 has been found suitable to raise this crop. CLIMATE • It is a tropical plant and comes up well under warm humid regions. • It grows upto an e...

Cultivation and Post-Harvest Technology of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum). Milk thistle (Silybum marianum is a medicinal plant cultivated in Parts of UP, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Tamilnadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. It is an important medicinal plant used by man from ancient times. Milk Thistle is an herbal supplement that detoxifies and protects vital liver functions and positive effects on the liver and gallbladder. The seeds contain the highest concentrations of the active compound, silymarin. Silymarin is an antioxidant that reduces free radical production and oxidative damage. It may also inhibit the binding of toxins to the liver. In animals, silymarin reduces liver injury caused by acetaminophen and has been shown to have positive effects on alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis and toxin-induced liver problems. Milk thistle has been used for over 2,000 years as a natural treatment for liver disorders. This plant is a spiny nature s...

Are you thinking or worried about how to do agarwood plantation and cultivation? This article helps you to set up and maintain the agarwood plantation and cultivation. Agarwood also known as Oud has been extensively used for making several valuable products over decades. Agarwood is a resinous heartwood that naturally occurs in the Aquilaria trees that commonly grow in the Himalayan foothills of South Asia and in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea. Though Aquilaria tree, the most important source of agarwood is commonly found in countries such as India, Malaysia, and Thailand, its globally increasing demand makes agarwood farming the choice of many people these days. Agarwood Plantation Since the Agarwood tree can grow on a wide range of soil and under diverse conditions, cultivation of this valuable incense has not been a concern for farmers. Agarwood tree is planted mainly during the beginning of rainy season. Agar is mainly formed inside the trunk or root of the tree whe...

Nigella Sativa How to Grow Black Cumin: After the last good frost of the winter season is the best time to plant your black cumin herb seeds outside. There are some gardeners who will grow the black cumin, also known as Nigella Sativa in several successive weeks after the final frost which is great to do if you want your harvesting season to last longer. Black cumin also make great accents to flower arrangements when their pods are dried. They are also edible as a seasoning to almost any type of food you choose to make. Seed Sowing Depth: Your black cumin seeds should be sown in a total of about of about 8 to 10 inches in rich soil. Each seed should lay about 1/8 inch under the top layer of soil. Each seed should be planted 4 to 6 inches apart to allow for adequate growth until the plant is ready to be harvested. It is recommended to sow your black cumin seeds outdoors after the last deep frost of the winter when at all possible. All seed...