Screening of genetic resources of the medicinal-vegetable plant Centella asiatica for herb and asiaticoside yields under shaded and full sunlight conditions

Genetic resources of the medicinal and vegetable plant Centella asiatica, c ollected from different parts of India, were screened for their herb and as iaticoside yields under different levels of shading under sub-tropical held conditions of Indo-Gangetic plains at Lucknow in the winter (rabi) season. The 16 accessions studied were found to harbour wide differences in morpho logy and herb and asiaticoside yield-related characters. The herb and asiat icoside yields of accessions ranged from 470 to 2730 kg ha(-1) and 1.0 to 9 .8 kg ha(-1) respectively. Considering all the accessions together, 50% sha ding of plants resulted in higher yields of herbage and asiaticoside. Thirt een out of the 16 accessions studied here had shading requirements for high yields of fresh and dry herb and asiaticoside. The accession CaShT, from M eghalaya, was identified as very high herbage and asiaticoside yielding but requiring a shading of about 50%. On the other hand accessions CaBp and Ca Cl from Orissa and West Bengal, respectively, gave high herb and asiaticosi de yields under full light. It is concluded that triterpenoid saponin rich C. asiatica for high yields can be cultivated in the field under shade or f ull light by selecting the genotype adapted to the respective growth condit ions.