Medicinal plant materials are supplied through collection from wild populations and cultivation. Under the overall context of quality assurance and control of herbal medicines WHO developed the Guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants providing general technical guidance on obtaining medicinal plant materials of good quality for the sustainable production of herbal products classified as medicines. These guidelines are also related to WHO's work on the protection of medicinal plants aiming promotion of sustainable use and cultivation of medicinal plants. The main objectives of these guidelines are to: (1) contribute to the quality assurance of medicinal plant materials used as the source for herbal medicines to improve the quality safety and efficacy of finished herbal products; (2) guide the formulation of national and/or regional GACP guidelines and GACP monographs for medicinal plants and related standard operating procedures; and (3) encourage and support the sustainable cultivation and collection of medicinal plants of good quality in ways that respect and support the conservation of medicinal plants and the environment in general. These guidelines concern the cultivation and collection of medicinal plants and include certain post-harvest operations. Good agricultural and collection practices for medicinal plants are the first step in quality assurance on which the safety and efficacy of herbal medicinal products directly depend. These practices also play an important role in protection natural resources of medicinal plants for sustainable use.

Medicines are the second most essential requisite after food for mankind. For medicines, medicinal plants are the important sources of raw drugs. Therefore, the demand on plant based therapeutics has increased many fold in both developing and developed countries due to the growing recognition that they are natural products, being non-narcotic, having no side effects, easily available at affordable prices. Due to hug demand of plant-based crude drugs throughout the world, today urgent need to domesticate or cultivate the medicinal plants in large scale to fulfill the unexpected demand. But due to lack of systematic information on cultivation of medicinal crops at one place, growers are not ready to adopt such practices in their agrosystem. Changing herbal market scenario rapidly and expanding local and global market and immense export potential to Europe, America and other Western Countries has opened up a new prospective field for Indian agriculture. To fully make use of this emerging demands world wide appropriate knowledge regarding their value addition, processing, market potential (export/import) of crude drugs, adulterants and substitutions and crude drugs and standardization and quality control is of utmost important. This unique book ventures to probe into this very important area covering almost the entire gamut of the burning issues relating to medicinal plants. The export of crude (herbal) drugs is gaining strength due to its inherent advantage coupled with the proliberalization. This invaluable book consisting of 11 chapters contributed every aspects related to the cultivation of medicinal plants viz. Nursery technology, Biofertilizers and biological pest control, Organic farming, Agro technique (40 commercial important medicinal plants), Harvesting technology and value addiction, Adulterants and substitutions, Market potential (export/import), Standardization and quality control, Legistration and policy, Sustainable conservation and development strategies. This book is a ready manual and information database for policy makers, administrators, academia, exporters, extension workers, manufacturers, growers and general readers interested in medicinal plants.

Medicinal plant research is an evergreen subject. There is a tremendous increase in popularity of herbal medicine in traditional medicine, ethnomedicine, modern medicine and as over the counter food supplements. Even after this increased demand, supply is neither uniform nor assured as most of these plants are collected from wild. In developing countries of tropical and subtropical regions where majority of herbal drugs are produced, this is not organised sector making it vulnerable to several malpractices, hence standardization of all aspects required. This has also negative impact on biodiversity and conservation of plants as well as supply of uniform material. This book is aimed to provide up to date information about sustainable use of selected medicinal plants, their active ingredients and efforts made to domesticate them to ensured uniform supply. Development of agrotechnology, biotechnology and cultivation practices using conventional and non-conventional methods are presented. Where these efforts will lead the medicinal plant research and future perspective are discussed. The chapters are written by well recognised group leaders in working in the field. The book contains topics on general biology of medicinal plants, their sustainable use and, cultivation and domestication efforts. A uniform chapter structure has been designed to keep consistency. The book will be useful for academicians, agriculturists, biotechnologists and researcher, and industries involved in manufacturing herbal drugs and supplementary products.

Medicinal plant cultivation has received an impetus in the recent years due to revival of interest in herbal medicines necessitating authoritative information on cultivation and utilization of this valuable flora. The book on Medicinal Plants includes information on current status of medicinal plants, their phytochemistry, quality control, good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices in medicinal plants and information on commercially grown medicinal plants and those important in trade. Details on botany, crop improvement, crop protection, crop production, post harvest handling, chemical composition, chemical analyses and uses of commercially grown crops are also included. The book which is a systematic compilation of available information on promising 65 medicinal species helps in providing specific information on the cultivation and utilization of these crops to farmers, academicians, students and related user industries. This documented information also serves to give an insight to the major research lacunae and formulate appropriate research strategies in these crops.

Medicinal plants are important for human health. These plants have been used from the prehistoric times to present day. These plants based medicines are consumed in all civilizations. It is believed that the herbal medicine can give good effect to body without causing side effects to human life. Medicinal plants are not only a major resource base for the traditional medicine & herbal industry but also provide livelihood and health security to a large segment of Indian population. Medicinal plants constitute a large segment of the flora, which provide raw materials for use by various industries. They have been used in the country for a long time for their medicinal properties. These plants are staging a comeback and herbal renaissance is happening all over the globe. The herbal medicines today symbolise safety in contrast to the synthetics that are regarded as unsafe to human and environment. Although herbs had been priced for their medicinal, flavouring and aromatic qualities for centuries, the synthetic products of the modern age surpassed their importance, for a while. However, the blind dependence on synthetics is over and people are returning to the naturals with hope of safety and security. Besides, the usage of medical plants has been increasing as an important role that can support the economic system. Ayurveda, the well known indigenous system of medicine, is still regarded as a well organised traditional health care for large sections of rural as well as urban population of India. The medicinal plants sector at present is not well organised and needs special attention. Although different Ministries and Department in the Government sector and NGOs and individuals in the private sectors are making their efforts in different directions, yet there is a need to co ordinate and systematize. The medical plants for health are used as herbal treatments and therapies that can be new habits for culture. The market is very competitive and could easily be oversupplied. This book basically deals with therapeutic potential of medicinal plants, medicinal plants priorities in Indian medicines diverse studies and implications, recent developments of some natural products, production and management of medical plants on farms, classification, identification and naming of medicinal plants, pests and pest management in medicinal plants, Ajmalicine (Raubasine): a medicinally important alkaloid from catharanthus roseus (vinca rosea), cultivation of rutin bearing eucalyptus species, iridoids and secoiridoids of the genus swertia, studies on medico ethnobotany, tropical periwinkle, tulsi, etc. The present book covers cultivation practices of selected commercially important medicinal plants with their processing details and uses. The book is very resourceful for medicinal plants growers, professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs and agriculture universities. TAGS How to Start Processing medicinal plants Industry in India, Medicinal plants Processing Industry in India, Most Profitable Medicinal plants Processing Business Ideas, Medicinal plants Processing & Medicinal plants Based Profitable Projects, Medicinal plants Processing Projects, Small Scale Medicinal plants Processing Projects, Starting a Medicinal plants Processing Business, How to Start a Medicinal plants Production Business, Medicinal plants Based Small Scale Industries Projects, new small scale ideas in Medicinal plants processing industry, NPCS, Niir, Process technology books, Business consultancy, Business consultant, Project identification and selection, Preparation of Project Profiles, Startup, Business guidance, Business guidance to clients, Startup Project for Processing Medicinal plants, Startup ideas, Project for startups, Startup project plan, Business start-up, Business Plan for a Startup Business, Great Opportunity for Startup, Small Start-up Business Project, Start-up Business Plan for Processing Medicinal plants, Start Up India, Stand Up India, Modern small and cottage scale industries, Profitable small and cottage scale industries, Setting up and opening your Medicinal plants Processing Business, How to Start a Medicinal plants Processing Business?, How to start a successful Medicinal plants Processing business, Best small and cottage scale industries, Medicinal plants Processing Business, Profitable Small Scale Manufacturing, Therapeutic potential of medicinal plants, drug bioavailability enhancement, medicinal plants