Intercropping of Medicinal Crops in coffee Plantations in High altitude Zone of Karnataka
1. Project Implementation in Coffee Estates of Tripathi Group of Industries
- Focused on integrating medicinal plant species like Centella asiatica, Bacopa monnieri, Patchouli, Alpinia sp., Eclipta alba and Vetiver as intercrops in juvenile and mature coffee plantations.
- Implemented in high-altitude regions of Karnataka to utilize under-canopy spaces efficiently.
- Objective includes conservation of commercially valuable medicinal plants while enhancing economic returns for farmers.
- Special attention given to rainy/monsoon seasons, when medicinal herbs thrive, offering seasonal income.
2. Advantages of Cultivating Medicinal Herbs as Intercropping with Coffee
- Utilizes the otherwise underused spaces between juvenile coffee plants.
- Many herbs (e.g., vetiver) prevent erosion and enrich soil structure.
- Certain herbs (like Alpinia sp.) possess natural pest-repellent properties.
- Promotes agro-ecological diversity within the plantation.
- Provides harvestable medicinal crops before coffee plants mature fully.
3. How This Intercropping Helps Farmers
- Early income generation during the non-productive juvenile phase of coffee (first 3–4 years).
- Reduced risk and income diversification, protecting farmers from coffee market fluctuations.
- Employment generation through additional planting, harvesting and processing activities.
- Medicinal herbs have shorter harvesting cycles, leading to quicker cash flow.
4. Contribution to Sustainable Rural Livelihood Systems
- Encourages year-round farming activities, preventing seasonal unemployment.
- Boosts women and tribal participation, particularly in herb cultivation and post-harvest processing.
- Provides scope for local value addition (drying, oil extraction, packaging) for better margins.
- Helps in in-situ conservation of threatened or commercially over-exploited medicinal plants.
5. Further Development Recommendations for Coffee Farmers
- Scientific validation and documentation of intercropping models for different microclimates.
- Training and awareness programs on medicinal plant cultivation, harvesting, and processing.
- Development of local nurseries for high-quality planting material of medicinal herbs.
- Policy and institutional support for marketing, certification (e.g., organic/medicinal), and value chains.
- Promote research-extension linkages for continuous improvement and scaling up.
- Explore integration of perennial medicinal plants that complement coffee’s lifecycle and canopy.
– Dr. Hima Bindu K, Principal Scientist, Division of Flower and Medicinal crops, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru
– Dr. Mohan Kumar G P, Senior Manager, Tripathi group
– Dr. Shivanand A, Research Scholar, Division of Flower and Medicinal crops, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru
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