Updated: October 21, 2020 12:28:03 am
Government data indicates that India imports around 1,200 tons of crude heeng worth Rs 600 crore from Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. (Photo: Getty / Thinkstock Images)
Asafoetida or heeng, It is a common ingredient in most Indian cuisines, so much so that the country imports 600 million rupees of this spicy herb each year.
Now scientists at the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource, Palampur (IHBT), are on a mission to grow heeng in the Indian Himalayas. The first sapling was planted in the Himachal Pradesh village of Kwaring in the Lahaul Valley last week.
What is asafoetida and where is it commonly grown?
Ferula asafoetida is a herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family. It is a perennial plant whose oil gum resin is extracted from its thick roots and rhizome. The plant stores most of its nutrients within its deep fleshy roots.
Asafoetida is endemic to Iran and Afghanistan, the world’s leading suppliers. It thrives in cold, dry desert conditions. While it is very popular in India, some European countries also use it for its medicinal properties.
How is India getting into heeng cultivation?
Heeng is not grown in India. Government data indicates that India imports around 1,200 tons of crude heeng worth 600 million rupees from Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Between 1963 and 1989, India once tried to acquire asafoetida seeds, stated ICAR – National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi. However, there are no published results for them.
In 2017, IHBT approached NBPGR with an experimental project idea to grow heeng in the Indian Himalayas.
For the investigation, heeng seeds were imported from Iran and remained in the custody of NBPGR. There, the seeds were subjected to a series of tests while kept in quarantine, to rule out fungal or infectious diseases, the possibility of pest attacks and other adverse effects in an area if these seeds were grown in the field. This process can take up to two months.
After acquiring all regulatory approvals from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), the IHBT submitted six accessions of heeng (EC966538 with Import Permit-318/2018 and EC968466-70 with Import Permit-409/2018), which have been conducting more R&D since 2018. At this Palampur institute, seeds were studied and then tested to see if they would germinate in a controlled laboratory.
The challenge for the scientists here was that heeng seeds remain in a long dormant phase and the germination rate of the seeds is only one percent.
“Each of the six imported accessions showed varying degrees of germination,” said Ashok Kumar, IHBT Principal Scientist and Principal Investigator on this project.
To cope with this dormancy, which according to the scientists is part of the plant’s adaptation technique to survive in desert conditions, they subjected the seeds to special chemical treatments.
“After about 20 days, the seeds, the six accessions collected from various regions of Iran, germinated under controlled laboratory conditions,” said Kumar.
In June this year, the CSIR institute signed a memorandum of understanding with the Himachal Pradesh Ministry of Agriculture. Altogether, the project will be spearheaded for the next five years in the state.
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What regions offer favorable conditions for growing asafoetida in India?
The first asafoetida sapling, grown at the IHBT Center for High Altitude Biology, was planted by IHBT director Sanjay Kumar in the Lahaul Valley village of Kwaring on October 15.
“We believe that the geo-climatic conditions required for the cultivation of certain varieties of heeng are available in India. On a pilot basis, we started farming in the Lahual-Spiti valley last week, ”said Shekhar Mande, CSIR CEO.
The Ministry of Agriculture has identified four locations in the valley and distributed heeng seeds to seven farmers in the region.
Asafoetida grows best in cool, dry conditions.
“The plant can withstand a maximum temperature of between 35 and 40 degrees, while during winters, it can survive in temperatures down to minus 4 degrees. During extreme climates, the plant can go dormant, ”Kumar said.
Regions with sandy soil, very little humidity, and annual rainfall of no more than 200mm are considered conducive to growing heeng in India. Some initial experiments were carried out in the high-altitude districts of Mandi, Kinnaur, Kullu, Manali, and Palampur in Himachal Pradesh. Additionally, the researchers plan to expand their experiments to Ladakh and Uttarakhand. The institute will provide cultivation knowledge and skills to local farmers. The seed production centers are also in sight.
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What are some of the benefits of asafoetida?
Published studies list a variety of medicinal properties of heeng, including relief of digestive, spasmodic and stomach disorders, asthma, and bronchitis. The herb is commonly used to help with painful or excessive bleeding during menstruation and premature labor. Being an anti-flatulent, the herb is given to new mothers.
How promising is the cultivation in India?
It is too early to comment on the production of the asafoetida crop so far. Experts say it takes about five years for the plant to produce the removable olego gum resin.
With the first sapling planted in October, scientists will have to monitor the plants for the next five years under realistic soil, climate and other conditions. By the end of this year, the goal is to cover one hectare with heeng cultivation and bring it to 300 hectares over the next five years.
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