MEDICINAL PLANT-ASOKAM/ ASOKA/ OSAKA

Common name: asoka, Asok, Ashok, Asogam, Wu You Hua, Osaka

Scientific name: Saraca asoca (ROXB.) DE WILDE

Part Used : Bark, Leaves, Flowers, Seeds.

Commercial importance:

The bark contains tannins and some chemicals and is prescribed as a tonic. Crushed flowers and leaves are rubbed on the skin to get relief from skin diseases. When selecting trees for avenues or large gardens, it will be an excellent idea to choose Saraca asoka instead of the usual rusty shield bearer or the ubiquitous gulmohur. The dried flowers are used in diabetes and haemorrhagic dysentery and seeds are used for curing bone fractires, strangury and vesical calculi. The flowers are considered to be a uterine tonic and is used in cases like burning sensation, dysentery, hyperdypsia, scabiesin children and inflammation. It is also used in fever, dipsia, colic, ulsers and pimples. The seeds are strengthening and the ash of plant is good for external application in rheum-arthritis. It is considered as best female tonic.

How to cultivate

Soil and climate: The plant requires slightly acidic to neutral soils for good growth with

medium to deep well drained fertile soils. It grows well in tropical to sub-tropical

situations under irrigation.

Nursery raising and planting: The crop can be propagated by seeds and stem grafting. The seeds has to be collected from the matured tress in august- September. As the seeds have less life span, it will be betterto plant the seeds as early as possible. Prior to seeding, soak the seeds in water for one day and then sow them in either  nursery beds or in polythene covers filled with soil. Transfer the plants in nursery bed to polythene cover after two weeks of germination. After two years these plantlings can be used for planting in main field. The seedlings are planted in the well manured field during the rainy season with a spacing of 3* 3 meter.

Thinning and weeding: Weeding and thinning of the plants may be done as and when

required usually after 15-30 days for better growth.

Manures, fertilizers and pesticides: The medicinal plants have to be grown without

chemical fertilizers and use of pesticides. Organic manures like, Farm Yard Manure

(FYM), Vermi-Compost, Green Manure etc. may be used as per requirement of the

species. To prevent diseases, bio-pesticides could be prepared (either single or mixture)

from Neem (kernel, seeds & leaves), Chitrakmool, Dhatura, Cow's urine etc.

Irrigation: Normally grown as rainfed crop but for better yield irrigation may be done as

per requirement (weekly/fortnightly).

Harvesting/ post harvesting operation: Bark is removed from about ten years or older

tree and then it has to be sun dried. By thus time tree will also produce flowers.