Fertilization and pruning of four selected medicinal plants

A study on the fertilization and pruning of medicinal plants, namely, `acapulco' (Cassia alata L.), `Lagundi' (Vitex negundo L.), `Sambong' (Blumea balsamifera L.), and `tsaang gubat' (Carmona retusa Vahl. Masam) was conducted to enhance production. Acapulco is used to cure scabies, athlete's foot, and ringworm, while lagundi is used for asthma, cough, headache, and toothache. On the other hand, sambong is used to increase urine flow, while tsaang gubat is used for stomach pain. Increased production of these medicinal plants would provide continuous supply of materials for processing of domestic pharmaceutical companies and individuals that venture into local production of herbal medicine. For each medicinal plant species, 21 plots each measuring 7.5 m long were arranged in a randomized complete block design replicated three times. Seven treatments consisting of different rates of inorganic and organic fertilizer combinations were used. Organic fertilizer was applied after pruning, urea at 30 days after pruning, and Triple 14 at 60 days after pruning. Plants were harvested for herbage by pruning the branches to a height of 0.75 m from the ground seven months after planting the mother plants and five months thereafter. Necessary cultural management practices were done to maintain the plants. Findings showed that the different rates of inorganic and organic fertilizer combinations significantly affected the herbage yield of acapulco, lagundi, sambong, and tsaang gubat. This is true for both mother plant and secondary growth after each pruning. For higher herbage yield, the best fertilizer rate for acapulco, lagundi, sambong, and tsaang gubat is 70 g urea + 60 g Triple 14 + 1,100 g organic fertilizer per plant or 311 kg urea + 266 kg Triple 14 + 4,888 kg organic fertilizer per hectare. It is most profitable to fertilize the four medicinal plants with this fertilizer rate both for mother plants and secondary growths after each pruning. In a four-year period, acapulco and sambong produced herbage up to the fourth pruning only. On the other hand, lagundi and tsaang gubat produced herbage up to the seventh pruning