| Family |
Lamiaceae |
| English Name |
Peppermint, Menthol |
| Malayalam Name |
Karppoora-Tulasi |
| Tamil Name |
Puthina |
| Kannada Name |
Pudina Soppu |
| Telugu Name |
Pudeena, Pudina |
| Hindi Name |
Piperment, Pudna, Vilaiti-Pudina |
| Sanskrit Name |
Paparaminta |
| Trade Name |
Peppermint, Menthol |
| Part Used |
Leaves |
| In Wild |
NA |
| Under Cultivation |
NA |
| Temperature |
20°-30° C |
| Rainfall |
1000-1100 mm |
| Farmers |
NA |
| Traders |
NA |
| Institution |
NA |
| Individually |
NA |
| State/Region |
NA |
| District |
NA |
| Nursery Information |
NA |
| Yield |
The average yield is 20 tonnes of fresh herbage per hectare in two harvests, which in turn,
yields around 250 kg of oil in a year. |
| Economic of cultivation |
Cost of cultivation: ₹ 90,000 per hectare
Market Price: Mint oil - ₹ 1,200 per liter (as on Aug 2019) |
| Quantitative quality standards |
1. Foreign matter: Not more than 2 per cent
2. Ash: Not more than 15 per cent
3. Acid-insoluble ash: Not more than 1.5 per
cent
4. Ethanol-soluble extractive: Not less than
4.5 per cent
5. Water-soluble extractive: not less than 7
per cent |
| Description |
Perennial ascending herb growing to 60-80 cm in height; stems 4-angular, purplish. Leaves opposite, lanceolate-oblong, sharply toothed; petiole is about 5 mm. in length. The leaf varies from 2-5 x 15 cm. The leaf surfaces, mainly lower side is covered with dense hairy growth of glandular hairs. Flowers are borne in axillary and terminal whorls, purplish in colour.
The flowers are small with corolla measuring 4-5 mm, calyx 2-3 mm narrowly deltoid and acuminate, pale purple or pink, seed setting absent. |
| Agro technology/Cultivation practices |
Mint can be cultivated both in tropical and sub-tropical areas. The mean temperature between 20°-30° C during major part of the growing period and rainfall between 1000-1100 mm is best suited. Well drained loam or sandy loam soils rich in organic matter having pH between 6 - 8.2 is ideally suited for cultivation. It can also be cultivated on both red and black soil. In case of acidic soil having pH less than 5.5, addition of lime is recommended.
Cultivation
1. Planting-stock production: Mint can be propagated vegetatively through
stolons and runners. The plants are propagated by 8 to 10 cm long
stolons(underground stems) during early spring season. About 400-450 kg
stolons are required for planting at 40 to 60 cm spacing in one hectare.
2. Field Planting: The crop is planted during January to February. Field
shall be ploughed and harrowed thoroughly and divided into beds of
suitable size to facilitate irrigation and make it free from weeds. The
stolons sprout in about 2 to 3 weeks when planted in February. Generally
the planting should be done early depending upon ground temperature.
3. Manuring/fertilization: Based on plant/soil analysis, apply well-rotten
farmyard manure/compost at the time of planting. The crop requires
intensive weeding and this is the most expensive cultural operation
which contributes to a higher yield of the crop.
4. Irrigation: Ten irrigations are given during summer season at intervals
of 10-12 days, whereas another 4-6 for autumn crop harvested in late
October. A minimum water of about 100 mm is required to obtain good crop
yield. Water logging during rainy season should be avoided by providing
adequate drainage.
5. Pests and diseases: Cutworms (Agrotis flammatra) can damage the plants
at the collar region of young plants during spring season. Hairy
Caterpillar (Diacrisia oblique) eats the undersurface of the leaves.
Red Pumpkin Beetle (Aulocophora foevicollis) feeds on the growing leaves
and buds. The caterpillar of Mint Leaf Roller (Syngamia abrupatalis)
folds the leaf in the form of a roll and feed inside the leaf tissue
during August-September. The edges of the leaves are held together with
silk-like filaments. During rainy season, stolons rot occurs on the
underground parts; the infected stolons show brown lesions which enlarge
and turn black, resulting in a soft decay. Fusarium causes wilt disease,
the affected plant leaves turn yellow, curled and finally dry. Leaf
blight cause loss of foliage during summer season. For controlling
diseases, better to follow 3-year-crop rotation with rice, wheat and
mint. |
| Harversting |
The crop planted through stolons in January and February, is harvested twice i.e. in June and October months. The first crop is harvested after 100-120 days of growth and the second harvest in about 80-90 days following the first harvest. |
| Processing |
The plants are cut 10 cm above the ground by means of a sickle on bright sunny days, since harvesting on cloudy or rainy days decrease the menthol content in the oil. The fresh herbage at harvesting stage contains 0.5 to 0.68% of oil and is ready for distillation after wilting for 6-10 hrs. |
| References |
NA |
