Medicinal and aromatic plants for crop diversification and their agronomic implications

Medicinal and aromatic plants fit very well in the current scheme of crop diversification in different agro-climatic regions of India. While considering lateral crop diversification, vertical diversification in processing and value addition vastly improves the crop economics. Agronomists are posed with challenge of scientifically fitting most suitable medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in different agroclimatic regions. This paper deals with different areas viz. nutrients and water and their management, cropping systems, utilization of waste/marginal lands, organic farming, quality of end products in relation to agronomic interventions, soil-health and related environmental issues related to MAPs and finally land use efficiency and economics of production systems involving MAPs.