FENUGREEK

TARATE S. P. Reg. –k-14/178

Agril. ENTOMOLOGY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, KOLHAPURMAHATMA PHULE KRUSHI VIDYAPEETH,

RAHURI .

• BOTANICAL NAME• FAMILY• PLANT PART USED Seeds as well as the dried leaves • The Latin name for Fenugreek:

Trigonella, means "triangle shaped pale yellow flower", and "foenum graecum" means "Greek hay".

• HABITAT Indigenous to the countries on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. Cultivated in India, Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and occasionally in England.

Trigonella foenum graecumFabaceae

TAXONOMY OF FENUGREEK

Kingdom Plantae – plantes, Planta, Vegetal, plants Subkingdom Viridiplantae Infrakingdom Streptophyta – land plants Superdivision Embryophyta Division Tracheophyta – vascular plants, tracheophytes Subdivision Spermatophytina – spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames Class Magnoliopsida Superorder Rosanae Order Fabales Family Fabaceae – peas, legumes Genus Trigonella L. – fenugreek Species Trigonella foenum-graecum L. – sicklefruit fenugreek

INTRODUCTION

It is one of the most common vegetables grown throughout the Country.

Fenugreek is a leguminous annual plant that grows to around 60cm tall

The leaves are similar to clover in shape.

Flowers are pea-shaped and yellow or white and appear in the leaf axils.

Like other legumes, the seeds are held in pods.

Fenugreek pods are thin and crescent-shaped.

The light brown seed harvested from the dried pods has a strong curry

flavour.

The seeds can be lightly roasted and ground and used as flavouring,

especially in curry dishes.

Fresh seed can be sprouted to give tasty sprouts.

The young leaves are often used in Asian dishes and can be included in salad

mixes.

Traditionally, fenugreek tea made from the crushed seed was used

medicinally for a range of ailments.

The plant was fed to animals as a both a tonic and a valuable food source;

however it is now thought to have deleterious effects on animals if eaten in

excess.

Fenugreek contains steroidal saponins, alkaloids (inc. trigonelline and

gentianine), mucilage, protein, vitamins A, B, C, minerals.

It has more economical and medicinal benefits as well. Cytogenetical

studies are necessary to improve the economical value and hybridization

between close related species and varieties.

In order to analyze karyotype of Trigonella foenum-graecum and

identification chromosomes type by using improved methods, plants and

seeds specimens were collected from different farmlands of West

Azerbaijan.

Ten metaphasic plates were used to analyze karyotype parameters

AREA AND PRODUCTION Although many spice crops are grown in Rajasthan in India, only coriander

(Coriandrum sativum L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), fenugreek

(Trigonella foenumgraecum L.), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) are

widely grown in different agroclimatic zones of the state.

In 2000.01 the state contributed nearly 41% of national area

and 71% of national production of coriander.

fenugreek accounted for nearly 84%, national area and production

Fruit

3 leaflets

Hard yellowish brown seed

PHARMACOLOGICAL PROFILE Analgesic effects

Antiadhesive properties

Anticarcinogenesis effects

Antitumor activity

Antioxidant activity

Antiplatelet activity

Exercise recovery effects

Hepatoprotective activity

Lipid-lowering effects

Galactagogue effects

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS Amino acids: 4-Hydroxyisoleucine, 4-hydroxyisoleucine lactone, arginine,

histidine, and lysine.

Steroidal saponins: Trigoneoside IIa, Ib; graecunins H, I, J, K, L, M, N;

trigofoenosides A, D,F, G; protogracillin; protodioscin; and diosgenin

Alkaloids: Trigonelline, gentianine, and carpaine

Flavonoids: Apigenin, luteolin, orientin, quercetin, vitexin, and isovitexin

Carbohydrates: Mainly mucilage

Soil and climate

Good soil of medium texture is required.

Tolerated pH range is 5.3 to 8.2.

- Prepare soil by adding plenty of composted organic material.

- Add a ration of lime if the soil is acid.

- A sunny, well-drained position and adequate water is required.

- Seed is sown in situ in spring.

Season and months

It can be grown in plains throughout the year .

Mostly Rabbi season good for the cultivation.

- Rainy Season - June - July

- Winter Season –September - October

Varieties:

Fenugreek is the leguminous plant and the

improved varieties are

Kasoori selection production get started in 2 months,

Pusa Early bunching it developed earlier, for seed production after 125

days.

These both developed by ICAER, Pusa, New Delhi.

In Maharashtra Fenugreek no.47 most cultivated variety.

Methods of cultivation-

1. BROADCASTING –

direct seed of Fenugreek under good conditions is recommended in

medium black soils well drained .

Thin broadcasting is more applicable for it.

SEED RATE –

25to 30 kg per hectares

Land preparation

Fenugreek requires well-drained soil.

It cultivated in flat bed this should be in size 3 X 2 m.

elongated flat bed also prepared for it.

Sowing/ planting

Fenugreek cultivated by broadcasting in flat bed at 20-25 cm

distance in line.

Needs full sunlight, and requires watering during dry periods.

While fenugreek is easy to grow, most available cultivars

need a growing season of 4 to 5 months

although some cultivars mature seeds just 3 months after

sowing.

It's a short-day plant, with flowering only beginning as the

days shorten in late summer.

Intercultural operations Weeding ;-

Weeding is the process of eliminating competition of unwanted plants to

the regular crop in respect to nutrition and moisture.

So that crops can be grown profitably.

It also facilitates other operations like irrigation and fertilizer application.

The advantages of weeding are

Conservation of soil moisture.

Reduced competition for nutrients, sunlight, space and water.

Water management

One has to irrigate Fenugreek during rabbi and summer season.

During all season at 4-6 days interval are required

The irrigation system must ensure uniform distribution and no wastage of

water.

Fenugreek can be irrigated by surface-irrigation system.

Surface-irrigation system: water is directly applied to the surface of the soil

and is spread by gravity.

There are several methods viz. flooding from ditch, check basin, ring and

basin, border strip and furrow.

Fertilizer management

Organic fertilizers- 20 ton/hectare well rotten FYM or compost should

incorporated at the time of land preparation

Chemical fertilizers

Top dressing

For good quality of fenugreek leaves nitrogen plays a vital role.

20 kg of Nitrogen (43 kg of Urea)/ha. – At Starting

20 kg of Nitrogen (43 kg of Urea)/ha. – After 15 days weeding OR

After broadcasting of seeds in 3rd week spraying of Urea 150gm/10lit.water

for betterment of production.

Application Methods

Fertilizers are applied in several ways.

Basal dressings are those fertilizers which are incorporated in the soil just

before sowing or planting.

Crop protection

I. Pest management

Aphids, Leaf minor are major pest infesting Fenugreek.

Aphids are black colored and infested the tip of leaf and sucking green

To spray Dimathoate 0.03 per cent , Cypermethrin 0.02 per cent.

Harvesting & post harvest processing

Method of harvesting

Take out whole plants for fresh use in salads when they are about 5 cm (2

inches) high (cut off the roots)

Main product (Yield)

Depending on the variety and the season it produces 7 to 8 tn. of per

hectare.

Post harvest processing

After harvesting of fenugreek it bounded in ‘Judi’ and packed in cloth or

netted bags or put in bamboo baskets

After the seeds have matured, uproot the plants and hang to dry.

When seeds are completely dry, thresh and separate them.

Grind seeds if required. Store whole dried seeds or ground fenugreek

powder in airtight containers.

Fenugreek has sold for distant as well as for local markets.

THANK YOUTHANK YOU