Scale-up cultivation of medicinal plants by agricultural nanotechnology and Vrikshayurveda

Abstract

The significance of the cultivation and conservation of plants and crops is increasing day by day due to the increasing population and requirements. So, agriculture is one of the ways that can be used for the scale-up of plants. Nowadays different agricultural techniques are developing for the sustainable development of plants. Along with crops, the cultivation of medicinal plants is also an area where we must focus because the demand for herbal products is gaining popularity. Traditional methods of cultivation are mentioned in different Ayurvedic classics. Vrikshayurveda is a special branch of Ayurveda which speaks about the importance of plants. If advanced techniques are in cooperation with traditional methods, it will be an advantage for the agricultural sector. Nanotechnology is one of the sciences which are gaining dominance in every field of the universe. It is the technology which alters the character of a material by changing it into a very minute nano level. Agriculture is one of the branches which utilizes the different methods of nano-techniques such as nano-priming, nano-fertilizers, nano-pesticides, nano-herbicides, nano-growth promoters and so on. Different methods given in this article are taken from various classical books mentioning the cultivation of plants in Ayurveda, and articles about the research in nanotechnology, agricultural techniques and practices. Different concepts related to various gunas (attributes) are mentioned in Ayurveda for drugs like sukshma (subtle) and tikshna (intense). These are helpful in developing biogenic nanoparticles using different herbal drugs for cultivation, diagnosis and treatment which will make no harm to both environment and humans.