Cultivation and Phenology of an antimalarial promising plant Artemisia annua in North India region at Agra

Artemisia annua Linn.is an antimalarial medicinal plant species producing bioactive compound artemisinin. The plant is native to china and north Asia and has been induced to India since the 1984’s. In Agra it is cultivated in semi desert area under extremes of temperatures (15-480c). Saline soil is best suited for cultivation. It is a winter annual herb completed its life cycle in nine months from November to July. It require early winter establishment by seeds. Germination of seeds take in month of November-December at temperature (10-160c) whereas maximum vegetative growth retained by plant during time period February to last April. The yellow flowers appear in the summer (April- May) and a month later seed formation takes place. Maturation of seed almost completed in June. Growth of plant ceases in month of July and plant dies in the end of August. Dry plants intact fruits remain on the ground became brown in colour.