Cultivation A promising method for conserving Picrorhiza kurrooa.docVIP

Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants, ISSN 2249 – 4340 REVIEW ARTICLE Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 14-17, June 2011 Cultivation: A promising method for conserving Picrorhiza kurrooa Neha TIWARI*, Mamta PUROHIT, A.R. NAUTIYAL High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre, HNB Garhwal University (A Central University), Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India Article History: Received 4 June 2011, Revised 10 June 2011, Accepted 12 June 2011. th th h Abstract: Himalayas are one of the greatest reservoirs of medicinal and aromatic plants, which has made people to use them for various health related problems. Due to their high medicinal potential, they are under high demand in national and international market. The ruthless extraction from the wild and illegal trade has contributed to endangerment of the plant. Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth, a valuable herb of Himalayan region is in great demand due to its high medi- cinal potential, which has caused severe exploitation of the species from the nature. As a result the plant has come under endangered category. Since the species is threatened, the cultivation of species within the distribution range will be the ideal approach to conserve it and it could be a good income generating source to the local farmers. Keywords: Medicinal plants, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Exploitation, Cultivation. India is gifted with a rich wealth of medicin- pockets. This initially uncontrolled exploitation al plants. The Himalayan region is one of the along with several other factors like destruction well defined and better known phyto- geographical regions of the Indian subcontinent. of habitat, overgrazing and tourism development etc. is fast leading to deterioration of important It is extremely rich in plant life and abounds in plant habitats and selective eradication of com- genetic diversity of MAP