Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) or Ghrit Kumari (Alloeh means “Shining bitter substance”) is a succulent plant with great commercial importance and health potentials.It belongs to the liliaceae family. It is a perennial plant, growing to the height of 1.5 - 2.5 ft. Its leaves are long and thick, juicy with a wheel like phyllotaxy. The two sides of the leaves have a thorny structure with a thorny tip. The inner product of the leaves is jelly like, with bad odour and bitter in taste. The length of the leaves varies from 25-30 cm, while the breadth ranges from 3-5 cm. Normally it flowers during October to January with long inflorescence and has a large number of small pink flowers all around. Fruits are developed from February to April. It is a xerophytic plant therefore mainly grown in dry areas of the world. Aloe Vera is a perennial shrub, they are mainly cultivated in tropical or subtropical regions across the globe where weather doesn’t have chilling conditions. Aloe Vera farming in India is gaining popularity as aloe vera crop gives much profit per acre which is higher than normal agriculture and it can be done using much less water and effort. Aloe vera business can be done by selling the leaves or extracting and marketing the aloe juice. It contains Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, Folic Acid, Niacin. Medicines prepared from Aloevera used for skin burns as well as a variety of skin diseases Aloe vera plants can survive constant drought conditions. Aloe vera cultivation doesn’t require much water for its growth. It can grow in the presence of low water availability. The crop sustains well in tropical and sub-tropical regions with mean annual rainfall of 35-40 cm. It is grown in all kinds of soils. Well-drained soil with the high organic matter is most suitable. It grows well in bright sunlight. Shady conditions result in disease infestation and it is highly sensitive to water stagnation. Therefore, well-drained and high land should be selected for its cultivation. There are about 150 species of aloe vera. Aloe barbadensis, Aloe indica, Aloe vulgaris, Aloe chinensis, Aloe perfoliata, Aloe littoralis and Aloe abyssinica are commonly grown species for consumption and therapeutic purposes. Below are the varieties released for Indian market: IC111271, IC111269, IC111280, IC111273, IC111279 and IC111267 varieties were introduced by National Botanical and Plant Genetic Resource (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), New Delhi. These varieties have high aloin content with great therapeutic value. IC111267, IC1112666, IC111280, IC111280, IC111272 and IC111277 varieties were also released by National Botanical and Plant Genetic Resource (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), New Delhi. The gel density and quantity are abundant and hence mostly used in cosmetic products. AL-1 variety was released by Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow. Land preparation is totally dependent on the soil type and agro climatic condition. Generally, 1-2 ploughing is done followed by levelling. Proper care should be taken when ploughing, soil should not be disturbed because the root system of aloe plants does not penetrate below 20-30 cm. The fields must have slope for proper drainage of water and source of irrigation water. At the stage of final ploughing, apply farm yard manure at the rate of 10-15 tonne per hectare to enhance crop productivity. Plant the suckers in the month of July-August for better growth.sowing can be done around the year except in winter month as chilling conditions slow the growth rate. Normally spacing of 45 cm x 40 cm or 60 cm x 30 cm is better. Three to four month old suckers to be planted in a pit having depth of 15 cm. Basically, in a hectare land 37,000-56,000 suckers can be planted. However, it completely depends on the required planting density. Either root suckers or rhizome cuttings are used as aloe vera propagation. When propagating with the help of rhizome, then the underground rhizome is dug out. A cutting of 5 to 5.5 cm is recommended which should contain a minimum of two to three nodes. These cuttings are rooted in sand beds or containers. After a few days the sprouts are ready for the plantation. In the case of root suckers, the suckers are cut from the parent plant and planted in average row to row distance of 50×45 cm. Two third portions of the aloe vera plant must be inside the ground. After planting the suckers, the soil around the suckers should be firmly pressed to prevent water lodging. During dry conditions, irrigation should be applied with an interval of 15 days. In rainy or humid seasons, irrigation is not required. Depending on the water availability, less irrigation can be provided to the crop during the winter season. First irrigation must be done immediately after root suckers are planted. Over watering the plants may create water logging in the field which can further destroy the crop. The field should be dried first before any water application. Proper drainage should be maintained to expel extra water from the field. Use of organic manures like farm yard manure, vermicompost or green manure are preferred for aloe vera crops. Recommended dose of farm yard manure is 10-15 tons per hectare which should be given at the time of soil preparation. The FYM application in subsequent years also results in high gel yielding in the crop. Vermicompost can be applied at the rate of 2.5-5.0 tons per hectare for obtaining higher leaf yield. Aloe vera plants require less fertilizer, and overuse can harm the plant or cause it to grow in an unhealthy manner. If you wish, use low nitrogen, high phosphorous, low potassium fertilizer in a ratio of 10:40:10 or 15:30:15. Apply once a year in late spring, at the start of the growing season. Aloe vera crop field should be free from weeds throughout the growing period of the crop. The first weeding followed by hoeing should be done within a month after planting. In subsequent years two weeding followed by light hoeing can be performed in each year. Unproductive, dried flower stalks and diseased plants should be destroyed and regularly removed from the field. Leguminous plants which are less competitive intercrops such as cluster bean, groundnut, sesame, isabgol, coriander, cumin etc. can be grown in the interspaces of aloe vera field during the first year. The intercropping is mostly successful under arid and semi-arid conditions. Intercropping can improve the soil health and generate additional income. Second year onwards these leguminous crops should not be planted otherwise it may result in less productivity of Aloe vera crop. Water whenever the soil is dry during the growing season. During warm and sunny weather, aloe vera plants will grow fastest with regular watering. However, it is easier to overwater aloe plants than to dry them out, so watering should be avoided until the soil has dried. Aloe plants often go dormant during winter,you should only water them once or twice a month during this period. If they are low to the ground or growing flat outward, the plant is probably not receiving enough sun.If it is indoors, keep it outdoors during daylight hours. If the leaves turn brown, decrease the sunlight.Move the indoor plant to an area that receives shade during the early afternoon. If the leaves are thin and curled, increase irrigation. The thick, fleshy leaves store water which is used during drought periods by plant. If the leaves are looking thin or curling, water the aloe plant more frequently.But do not over irrigate. Yellowing of leaves may cause of excess water application. Stop watering for the next week.You may remove any discolored leaves from the plant without much harm to the plant.You may use a disinfected knife. Aloe vera becomes fully mature in 18-24 months. Within a year the plants bear yellow tubular flowers and fruits that contain numerous seeds. Harvesting can be initiated 8 months onwards. Farmers harvest aloe leaves in 3-4 pickings per year, depending upon the growth of plants. In India, mostly manual harvesting is followed. In this, the leaves are plucked, and broken rhizome is left in the soil which will further sprout again to a new plant. On an average, aloe vera production from a hectare of non-irrigated crop may yield 15-20 tons of aloe vera leaves and irrigated crop can yield up to 30-35 tons of aloe vera leaves. The leaves are regenerated and thus the crop can be harvested up to 4-5 years. One can set up an aloe vera processing plant and extract the aloe juice. Aloe vera juice is colourless and transparent like water. It is extracted from fresh aloe vera leaves. The juice doesn’t have any taste or odour,it is used for therapeutic purposes. Aloe vera gel and juice have various health benifits. Aloe Vera business involves post harvesting operations for making of aloe products by crushing, grinding or pressing of the aloe vera leaves. The outcome is aloe vera gel which is present inside leaves. Further, different kinds of filtration process is followed along with stabilization of the gel. The final solution is mixed with other agents, creams, lotions to make pharmaceutical, cosmetic or edible items. Harvested aloe vera can be sold to local vendors or processors. Even, within a limited budget and little man power setup, aloe vera processing plants can be installed. Processing plants will yield aloe vera juice or gel. Which can be further sold to cosmetic industries, pharma industries and other stakeholders. In this case, the aloe vera production profit margin would be large. Consumption Pattern People are consuming aloe vera juice regularly to solve digestive issues, cholesterol and diabetes. The consumption of aloe vera juice or aloe products is rising among the urban population. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties therefore ideal for skin diseases. Several cosmetic industries are using aloe vera in their products like cream, body lotion, hand wash, shampoo, etc. Around 30 tons of aloe vera can be produced in 2 acres of land. The cost of harvested aloe vera stands at Rs 15,000 – 20, 0000 per tons in Indian market. Aloe vera is a low maintenance crop and doesn’t need huge funds to start aloe vera farming. Around Rs 40,000 investments can give 5 to 6 lakhs rupees from aloe vera leaf production profit every year. One-time plantations of aloe vera can be harvested for 3 to 5 long years. Allow freshly harvested plants to wilt and lose moisture in the field before transporting. Wilting will occur normally within 24 to 72 hours.The plant should be kept dry and cool to prevent fermentation or mould growth. A concrete floor under shade can be used for this purpose. Today's awareness towards health benefits is the main driver of the aloe vera industry. There are countless medicinal benefits of aloe vera, which is increasing its demand year on year and creates a good scope for aloe vera cultivation. If the article will help you please give your valuable views.
Introduction to Aloe Vera crop
Climate and Soil requirements in Aloe Vera Farming
Aloe Vera Varieties
Land Preparation
Sowing
Time of sowing
Spacing
Sowing Depth
Seed Rate in Aloe Vera Farming
Propagation
Irrigation for Aloe Vera Farming
Crop Nutrition
Weeding
Intercropping with Aloe Vera
Daily care
Sunlight
provide sunlight if the leaves look flat and low
Decrease sunlight if the leaves turn brown
Water Management
Increase water if leaves look thin or curled
Stop watering if the leaves turn yellow
Aloe vera Harvesting time
Aloe Vera Processing
Aloe Vera gel business
Aloe Vera Profit per Acre
Post harvesting
Conclusion
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