Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) a Crop of High Nutritional and Economical Importance-Recent Guidelines on Farming Practices
I.S. Singh *
ICAR-National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga-846005, Bihar, India.
S.B. Tarate
ICAR-National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga-846005, Bihar, India.
A.K. Thakur
ICAR-KAB-II, IARI Campus, Pusa, New Delhi-110012, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The global food problem could be resolved to some extent by the production of Water chestnuts. Moreover, waterlogging developed due to global warming would be better utilized by the cultivation of Water chestnut. The cultivation of thornless Water chestnuts alone or along with fish takes place in water bodies or ponds with depths ranging from 1.20 to 1.80 m as well as in shallow agricultural fields with depths of 0.30 to 0.45 m. The major carp fish could be successfully incorporated in the Water chestnut growing ponds. The water chestnut prefers to be grown in organic matter rich ponds or shallow lands. It has been found that T. natans is very efficient in absorbing nutrients, particularly N, P, K, Cu and Zn. The fruit of the Water chestnut has considerable nutritional and economical significance. The entire herb and fruit of the Water chestnut have been acknowledged in traditional medicine for their medicinal properties, serving as remedies for various diseases.
Keywords: Water chestnut, aquatic ecosystem, nutrient uptake, nutritional, medicinal properties, cultivation, production, economics