Propagating for Survival: Conservation Strategies for the Endangered Himalayan Medicinal Plant Picrorhiza kurrooa

Abstract

Studies on propagation and conservation of an endangered medicinal herb - Picrorhiza kurrooa reveals that the seed germination did not occur in darker conditions and seem to be photoblastic. Among various treatments the species showed 93.33±2.88% germination when the seeds were germinated in a medium of 0.125mM GA₃ with mean germination time (MGT) of 8.0±0.866 days as against the MGT 18.66±0.57 days of controlled seeds (seeds without any treatment). In field conditions however, the seeds germinate only when placed on the upper layer of soil covered with a thin film of water exposed to light. Although the plants grew nicely on various soils, maximum plant survival and vigorous growth was obtained in loamy and sandy loam textured soils. The plants responded to various nutrient treatments and in loamy textured the maximum dry biomass was shown by the plants treated with nitrogen (500mg/kg soil) produced 9.50±2.50gm dry biomass and the plants treated with NPK (500mg/kg soil) produced 9.16±4.481gm dry biomass as against the control of 4.83±0.473gm in loam textured soils. In sandy loam (1:2) textured soils the plants treated with nitrogen and NPK (500mg/kg soil) produced the dry biomass of 13.66±0.581 and 10.16±0.763gm respectively as against the control of 5.06±1.401gm per individual. The experimental manipulations also reveal that the species has a potential to propagate through underground stem cuttings in sandy loam soils. The cuttings treated with IAA, IBA and GA₃ showed 93.33, 80.0 and 95.0% survival in top segments while as 60.0, 55.0 and 68.0% survival in basal segments respectively as against the control of 75.0% in top and 42.10% in basal segments.