Dhaturo

• Scientific name: Datura metel
• English name: Thron-Apple

a. Environment:

• Tropical, sub-tropical and temperate .
• 10⁰-15 ⁰C in winter and 25 -27 ⁰C in summer.
• 50-100cm/yr. of rainfall.
• requires good drainage.
• grows best in rich clay loam soils.

b. Cultivation:

• Propagation: By seeds
• Preparation of land: 2-3 ploughings, one harrowing and leveling is essential
• Sowing Season – Early March – April. Late June – August.
• Seed Rate: 8-10 kg of seeds/ha
• Transplanting operation is done in the month of May – June and October – December in sub-tropical areas.
• Spacing: R X P. 75 x 75 cm or 45 X 60cm or 30-45 cm x 45 – 60 cm apart.
• Fertilizers: 5-10 tons of FYM or Compost /ha. 80:40:50kg of NPK/ha
• N fertilizer is applied as two split doses after two months of transplanting.

c. Management:

• Weeding and thinning is done when plants are 10-20cm high. Second weeding & hoeing is done after a month or 11/2 to 2 months.
• 4-5 irrigations after every fortnight interval if there is no rain.
• Diseases – Root rot (Corticium solani), Wilt (Sclerotium rolfsii),Mosaic Viral.
• Insect pests: Thrips

d. Harvesting:

• 6-7 months after sowing.
• entire plant is cut when the fruits are matured but green and partially dried in the sun or in shade.
• The leaves and tops of the plants are cut in the morning.
• The herbage is dried in the shade immediately or in a drying room at a temperature up to 50 ⁰

e. Yield:

• Green – 200 – 210q of green herbage and 15-20q of seeds/ ha.
• Nearly 1 kg of dried herb yield about 0.4 – 0. 59 g of total alkaloid annually.

f. Chemical evaluation:

• The principal alkaloid are Hysocine, Hyascyamine (0.3 -0.8%), Daturine.
• Seed oil contains Me-sterol.

g. Uses:

• Antispasmodic, anodyne, narcotic, asthma, sedative, anticho-linergic ( blocks acetylcholine: gastritis, diarrhoea, nausea,vomitting)
• The dried leaves reduce asthma fits.
• Whooping cough and Bronchitis.
• Seeds are used in asthma, hydrophobia and also in malaria.
• In higher doses cause hallucinations
• Dried leaves and flowers are used for epigastric and rheumatic pain.
• Leaves are also used to reduce inflammation of breast cancer caused by excessive lactation.
• It is useful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, mucous secretion and urinary disorder.
• The juice of the fruits is applied to the scalp for curing dandruff and falling hair.