Performance of Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth under different growing media

Picrorhiza kurrooa commonly known as Kutki/Karru is high valued medicinal plant categorized as endangered by the IUCN and finds use both in traditional as well as modern system of medicine. Increasing national and international demand with good market price leading to its indiscriminate and unscientific exploitation from the wild coupled with negligible cultivation has put its existence under threat. In order to find out the best growing medium for cultivation sprouting, survival, growth and yield performance of P kurrooa was tested under six different media viz soil (1), soil + sand (2:1), soil + sand + FYM (2:1:1), soil + sand + vermicompost (2:1:1), soil + sand + sheep manure (2:1:1) and soil + sand + humus (2:1:1). After three years of experimentation it was deduced that following media should be used in the increasing order of their preference: soil + sand + FYM (2:1:1) >soil + sand + vermicompost (2:1:1) >soil + sand + sheep manure (2:1:1) >soil + sand + humus (2:1:1) to maximize sprouting, survival and yield of P kurrooa.