Potential of Extra Income Generation for the Rural Sector by Medicinal Plant Cultivation

Sri Lanka is very rich in plant diversity ensuring the supply for resources for local folk remedies and ayurvedic treatments. Among those plants, some bear volatile oils in the leaves with the ability to repel mosquitoes. However, most such plants were underexploited and underutilised. Hence, this study aimed to compile information on plant species which are commonly found in homegardens in Kurunegala district of Sri Lanka and to find strategies to help rural economic development. For this purpose, indigenous knowledge was gathered through interviewing 50 traditional ayurvedic practitioners and 30 subject experts. This survey revealed the availability of 127 volatile oil-bearing plant species with mosquito repellent properties. Those plants were cross-referenced with the IUCN conservation status to eliminate the ones in the high risk categories. Finally, 29 plant species(Ocimum tenuiflorum Sub-type Rama, O. gratissimum, Hyptis suaveolens, Atalantia ceylanica, Citrus aurantifolia, Cinnamomum verum, Cymbopogon citratus, O. tenuiflorum Sub-type Krishna, Plectranthus barbatus, P. zatarhendi, Acronychia pedunculata, Ageratum conyzoides, Acorus calamus, Citrus madurensis, Eryngium foetidum, Citrus sinensis, Citrus reticulata, Aegle marmelos, Anisomeles indica, Vitex negundo, Tithonia diversifolia, Croton laccifer L., Toddalia asiatica, Piper betle, Clausena indica, Ruta chalepensis, Limonia acidissima, Michelia champaca and Evolvulus alsinoides) were identified out of 123, by following a weighted ranking system based on the priority given by both ayurvedic practitioners and subject experts. Identification of the availability and willingness to supply of those top ranked plant species was tested via a structured questionnaire survey conducted for 80 participants in four villages (Hulugalla, Randenigama, Porawewa and Papolegama) in two agro-ecological regions (IL1 and IL3) of Kurunegala district. Selected 20 households from each village had the land extent equal or greater than 1 acre (0.4 ha). According to the results, Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus sinensis, Citrus reticulata, Aegle marmelos and Ocimum tenuiflorum Sub-type Rama were the top 5 ranked plant species that were commonly available. Further, this study demonstrated that on an average a family could earn between Rs. 500.00 and Rs. 3,000.00 by selling 1 kg of air-dried leaves. Thus, encouragement of medicinal plant cultivation in rural areas will help to generate financial returns and to conserve these plants in the wild.Keywords: Mosquito repellence, Volatile oils, Medicinal plants, Rural economy, Indigenous knowledg

Medicinal Aromatic Plant Cultivation for the Bioeconomy: Eliciting Willingness from Rural Communities

The COVID-19 pandemic created numerous issues, particularly in Southeast Asia, and the recovery needs strong actions with new economic paths. The Sri Lankan government is also trying to help those who have lost their sources of income. Involving with the trade of medical and aromatic plants (MAPs) bearing unique medical properties will be important in that aspect. Extracted and isolated some secondary metabolites from plants developed life-saving medicine, flavonoids, repellents, cosmetics, and scents with enormous economic potential. India, China, and other Asian countries dominate the global MAP trade. However, Sri Lanka is yet to enter the global MAP market by utilising its abundant plant life. Determining rural communities’ willingness to participate in such programmes is crucial. The same authors identified 127 lesser-known potential MAPs as insect repellents by interviewing traditional ayurveda practitioners and subject experts. The current study investigated the willingness of the rural sector in six districts in Sri Lanka (Matara, Rathnapura, Kurunegala, Badulla, Hambanthota, and Batticaloa) using a structured questionnaire survey for 480 households. Cinnamomum verum, Citrus aurantifolia, C. sinensis, C. reticulata, Aegle marmelos, and Ocimum tenuiflorum Sub-type Rama were the most abundant top five plant species. The questionnaire also sought information on respondents' demographics, the availability of agronomic plants, MAPs, in their homegardens and their willingness to cultivate and supply medicinal plants. Binomial logistic regression was used to determine the effects of the respondent’s district, gender, age, education, total family revenue, availability of agronomic crops, land space available for the cultivation of MAPs, number of non-income-generating family members, members contribute to agriculture, external employees recruited as labourers. Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated that the model reasonably fits with the data (p=0.77). In this case, district (p<0.05) and gender (p<0.05) were statistically significant while the other variables were not. Compared to Badulla District, the odds of willingness to grow and supply MAPs are approximately five times greater in Batticaloa District, four times greater in Hambantota, Kurunegala, and Matara districts and three times greater in Rathnapura District. Subsequently, the odds of the willingness of males to grow and supply MAPs was greater than females. Finally, it can be concluded that encouraging MAPs cultivation in rural areas will benefit post-pandemic populations while facilitating global trade, which is expected to reach USD 5 trillion by 2050. Keywords: Medicinal aromatic plants, Bioeconomy, Post-pandemic economic future, Rural economy, Indigenous knowledg