CSIR-CIMAP practices helping menthol mint farmers boost yield
Menthol mint is a specific breed of mint which is rich in menthol oil. The country is a global leader in menthol mint production
Practices promoted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP) are helping farmers combat the threat posed by synthetic menthol to menthol mint farmers.
Menthol mint is a specific breed of mint which is rich in menthol oil. The country is a global leader in menthol mint production.
Synthetic menthol is made after utilising fossil fuels and is cheaper than the natural menthol. Menthol is cultivated over more than 3,50,000 hectares in the Indo-Gangetic plains and over 6 lakh families are involved in growing menthol mint.
“Over 40,000 tonnes of menthol mint worth about ₹3,000 crore is produced in the country every year, of which 28,000 tonnes is produced in Uttar Pradesh and 11,000 tonnes in Lucknow and nearby districts including – Barabanki, Sitapur and Hardoi,” said scientist Alok Kalra.
In the past, the institute has evolved various varieties like - Saksham, Kushal, Saryu, CIM-Kranti, and CIM-Unnati which has an increased amount of menthol oil than other varieties and at the same time these varieties can be cultivated early.
These days, the CSIR-CIMAP, as part of Aroma Mission, is working to create a sustainable cluster in Barabanki. The sustainable clusters will be further increased with time, said CSIR-CIMAP director Prabodh Trivedi.
“We are promoting technologies that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable among farmers so that they continue to produce menthol mint and compete with the prices of sustainable mint in the market while making money through different activities in their farms. We have introduced a high-yielding variety of menthol mint CIM Unnati along with Early Mint Technology among farmers which involves planting of saplings of ridges, use of UAV and hyperspectral camera for vigilance over fields and drones for sprinkling fertiliser and pesticides,” said Trivedi.
When the plants are planted on ridges the water can easily be distributed in the field which at the same time helps in preserving water.
Early mint technology promotes faster plant growth and can help farmers achieve two harvests before the monsoon. While the technological intervention through UAV and hyperspectral cameras helps farmers estimate the time for harvest and application of liquid fertiliser and pesticides through drones helps in saving time and reduces the use of chemicals, he said.
“Farmers can obtain 20% more oil using the technologies promoted by CSIR-CIMAP. The farmers are taught ways to distill the menthol using solar energy and use the waste generated to produce mushrooms which can help in additional income generation, and later, the remaining waste for making vermicompost. They are also promoted to practise apiculture and later use beeswax to make candles,” said Trivedi.