CORIANDER

Introduction:
Coriander Coriandrum sativum L. is an important spice crop and occupies a prime position in flavouring substances. It was one of the first spices to be used as a common flavouring substance. The stem, leaves and fruits all have a pleasant aromatic odour. The entire plant when young is used in preparing chutneys and sauces, and the leaves are used for flavouring continental curries and soups. The fruits are extensively employed as a condiment in the preparations of curry powder, pickling spices, sausages and seasonings. They are also used for flavouring pastry, biscuits, buns and cakes, and in flavouring liquors, particularly gin. Coriander seeds are also known for their medicinal properties and are considered carminative, diuretic tonic, stomachic antibilious, refrigerant and aphrodisiac. As such, coriander is a frequent ingredient in the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines and is a traditional home therapy for different ailments. The new value-added products obtained from seeds are also in large demand in international markets. The volatile oil is also used in flavouring liquors and for obscuring the bad smell of medicines. This species, rich in linalool, has potential for use as an essential oil. It has been used as an analgesic, carminative, digestive, antirheumatic and antispasmodic agent. Its fruits (commonly called seeds) are used for flavouring candies, in cookery, perfumery, beverages and in the tobacco industry. It was one of the earliest spices used by mankind. Coriander was used in Egypt for medicinal and culinary purposes as early as 1550 BC and is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus. It has been used as a flavouring agent in food products, perfumes and cosmetics. Coriander has been credited with many medicinal properties. Powdered seeds or dry extract, tea, tincture, decoction or infusion have been recommended for dyspeptic complaints, loss of appetite, convulsions, insomnia and anxiety. The essential oils and other extracts from coriander have been shown to possess antibacterial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancerous and antimutagenic properties.

Cultivation:
Coriander requires cool climate during growth stage and warm dry climate at maturity. It can be cultivated in all most all types of soils but well drained loamy soil suits well. It is observed that quality of seed is superior & essential oil content is more when the crop is grown in colder regions & at high altitudes. Land should be ploughed 2-3 times followed by planking, to bring the soil to fine tilth. Clods should be broken and stubbles of previous crop should be removed. Before land preparation, pre-sowing irrigation should be given, if optimum moisture for seed germination is not available in the soil. Improved varieties like Guj.Coriander-1, Guj.Coriander-2, RCr-41, UD-20, Rajendra Swati (RD-44), CS-287, CO-1, CO-2, CO-3, Sadhana, Swati and Sindhu may be cultivated to get high yield. 15 to 20 Kg of seed is required for sowing of one hectare area. Usually coriander is cultivated during Rabi season. The best time for sowing of coriander is 15th October to 15th November. Seed should be rubbed to split into two halves before

sowing. While rubbing care should be taken to save the sprouting portion. Timely sowing is beneficial as in early sowing germination is affected on account of excess sun shine and late sowing leads to paltry growth of plants and development of various diseases. Sowing time may be adjusted in frost prone areas so that the frost incidence can be avoided during flowering stage. Sowing should be done in rows at a spacing of 30 cm apart. 15 to 20 MT FYM per hectare should be incorporated in soil at the time of land preparation. Apart from FYM 20 Kg Nitrogen 30 Kg Phosphorous and 20 Kg Potash per hectare should also be applied in the soil as basal dose, in case of rain fed crop. For irrigated crop; 20 MT FYM, 60 Kg of Nitrogen, 30 Kg Phosphorous and 20 Kg Potash per hectare is recommended. Full dose of FYM should be mixed in soil at the time of land preparation and one third dose of Nitrogen (20 Kg), full dose of Phosphorous and Potash should be applied as basal dose and remaining 40 kg Nitrogen should be top dressed in two equal split doses at the time of first irrigation and at flowering stage. Generally, 4-6 irrigations are given depending on type of soil and climate. First irrigation should be given within 30-35 days from the date of sowing, second after 50-60 days, third after 70-80 days, fourth after 90-100 days, fifth after 105-110 days and sixth after 115-125 days. During early stages of growth, coriander plants grow very slow, hence weeding during this period is very essential to save the plants from weed competition. In rain fed crop, first weeding should be done at about 25-30 days after sowing and in irrigated crop about 4045 days after sowing. Thinning of plants should be done before first irrigation to maintain a spacing of 5 to 10 cm between plants. Second weeding should be done 50-60 days after sowing, in rain fed crop.