MENTHA spp.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
FAMILY:LAMIACEAE
• A perennial herbacious plant.
• An important culinary herb.
• Rich in essential extracted from the leaves and the
flowering plants.
• A good source of VITAMIN A for eye health and night
vision.
• Immunity boosting properties.
• Carminative and antispasmodic properties.
• A rich source of antioxidants,menthol and eases
acidity.
 Commercially important species:
Mentha arvensis Japanese Mint

Mentha pipereta Pepper mint

Mentha spicata Spearmint

Mentha citrata Bergamot mint

 Description of the species:
M. arvensis (Japanese mint,mint,corn mint)
 Erect herbacious perennial,20-80 cm tall
 Quadrangular stems.
 Opposite leaves.
 Menthol content: 65-75%,limonene(1.20-3.30%).
 Propagation is mainly through stolons.
 An excellent carminative ,analgesic and stimulant so
finds its place in various pharmaceutical industries.
M. arvensis variety Unnati at UHF Nauni
Menthol Mint (variety Kranti)
Menthol Mint (Variety Kosi)
M. piperata (Peppermint)
• A hybrid of M.aquatica x M. spicata
• Quadrangular, purplish stem.
• Dark green,petiolate and ovate leaves.
• About 45-90 cm tall.
• Menthol content about 35-40% and terpenes
like limonene and pinene.
M. piperata variety Kukrail
M.citrata (Orange mint,Bergamot mint)
• Has a strong citrus like aroma due to the two
compounds linalool and linalyl acetate.
• Mainly used in the perfumery industry.
• A tea made from the dried leaves has curative
properties regarding ulcers,parasites and aches.
M. citrata variety Kiran
• M. spicata (Spearmint)
• Carvone (57.71%) is the principal
constituent,whereas pinene limonene are in trace
amounts.
• Used as a flavouring agent in toothpastes,chewing
gums,and sauces.
• Cures digestive disorders,nausea,gallbladder
swelling.
• Used in aroma therapies.
M. spicata variety MSS-5
Mentha UHF-2 Black
M. citrata
 CULTIVATION PRACTICES:
• SEASONS: Planted in last week of December to the first week
of March in the temperate zone.
• SOIL: fertile,humus rich, water retentive soil with a pH of 6-
7.5
• CLIMATE: 20-25 C promotes vegetative growth,temperatures
of 30 C report high menthol content in Indian conditions.
• Peppermint and spearmint grow well in temperate zones.
• Open sunny conditions without excessive rain are ideal for the
development of oil.
 LAND PREPARATION:
• Land Preparation:Requires thoroughly
ploughed harrowed soil.Remove all the weeds
before crop planting.
• Flat land or ridges can be preferred.
• FYM@25-30 t/ha.
• Green manuring with Sun hemp.
 PROPAGATION:
Propagation is through suckers/stolons.
• Peppermint can also be planted through
runners.
• Stolons are obtained from the previous year growth.
• About 400kg stolons are required per ha of land.
• Best time for obtaining stolons is from December to
January.
 Planting Method:
• Cut the stolons into small pieces about 7-
10cm and plant them in shallow furrows of
about 7-10cm.
• Row-row distance is 45-60cm.
• Keep the stolons halfway down to the inner
sides of ridges.
• The plot must be irrigated immediately after
planting.
 Fertilizer Application:
• Nitrogenous fertilizers @80-120kg,P and K @50kg each.
• M.spicata shows higher oil yield with the application of 120kg
N/ha.
• Boron deficiency can reduce herb yield and oil content.
• Boron+Zn fertilizers show increased herb yield and essential
oil content.
• Nitrogen is always applied in split doses :1 and 3 months after
planting ,and third dose after 1st harvest.
• IRRIGATION: Water requirement is high.Crop is
irrigated before and after monsoons.
• Irrigate the crop in September,October and
December.
• WEED CONTROL: Hand weeding and hoeing at the
early stages of crop growth.
• Organic mulch with OXYFLOURFEN@0.5kg/ha gives
excellent weed control.
 CROP ROTATION:
For the cultivation in UP region:
• Mint-maize-potato
• Mint-Paddy-Potato
• Mint-Late paddy-Sweet Pea.
For punjab region:
• Mint-Maize-Mustard
• Potato-Mint
 PESTS AND DISEASES:
• Leaf rollers,pyralids,hairy caterpillars,cut
worms,termites.
• Hairy caterpillar attacks the foliage and causes
defoliation. Control measure: 5%Dipterex.
• For termites, apply Heptafan@50kg/ha to the
soil.
• NSKE@250kg/ha against termites.
• Wilt,Powdery mildew,Leaf Blight,Stolon rots, Rust
are the key diseases.
 HARVESTING PROCEDURES:
• First crop matures by the end of June and the second by end
of September and October.
• 1st harvest is done after 100-120 days of planting.
(Indication of maturity: when the lower leaves turn yellow).
Delayed harvest leads to oil reduction.
• 2nd harvest is done after 80 days of 1st harvest.
• 3rd harvest is done after 80 days of the 2nd harvest.
• Method of harvesting: Cut the green herb by a sickle 2-3cm
above ground level.Always harvest in bright sunny weather.
• YIELD: Japanese mint yield about 48t/ha with an average
yield of 20-25t/ha. Oil Yield@0.4%.
 OIL DISTILLATION:
• Preferably by steam distillation.
• The stems are removed prior to distillation
because they contain only traces of oil and
occupy 20-50% of the space.
• Mint oil is a golden coloured volatile liquid and it
must be moisture free before storing.
• Steel, galvanized Steel or Al containers are used
for storage. Filling is done upto the brim and
containers are kept in a dark and dry place.
Status of Mint Production in India:
• India is the largest producer and exporter of
mentha oil having a share of about 85% in the
global market.
• India exports about 21000 tonnes per annual and
consumes about 15000 tonnes.
• Uttar Pradesh being the largest exporter in the
country contributes 90% share in the total
production.
• About 1 lakh ha area is covered by M. arvensis sp.