Botanical Names
Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth
Common Names
| Malaysia | Nilam. |
| English | Patchouli. |
Family
Lamiaceae
Introduction
‘Nilam’ (Pogostemon cablin) originated from the Philippines and is found mainly in the forest of the Philippines islands. It was brought to Peninsular Malaysia in the early 1800s. In the early 1900, with the introduction of rubber which is more lucrative, ‘nilam’ is of less interest to smallholders in Malaysia. ‘Nilam’ is commercially produced in Indonesia (Acheh), China and Brazil.[1]
Morphological Features
‘Nilam’ is a shrubby herb with many branches and grows until 1.0 m tall. The leaves are ovate, 8−10 cm long, 5−8 cm wide, thick and curly. The leaves are dark green to purplish and produce a unique aroma. The stems are purple, rectangular in shape and are covered with fine hair. In Malaysia, ‘nilam’ does not produce flowers.[1]
Medicinal Properties and Usage
In traditional medicine, decoction of ‘nilam’ leaves is reported to cure sore throat, asthma, cough and fever. This aromatic ‘nilam’ leaves can produce extract oil which is known as patchouli oil in the international market. Among the chemical constituents present in the patchouli oil are benzaldehyde, cardinene, cinnamic aldehyde, eugenol and patchouli alcohol. A lot of ‘nilam’ oil is used in fragrant industry since it has the ability to fix to other oils and make them more stable. ‘Nilam’ oil is also used in soap making, cleansing agent, shampoo and insect repellent. At low concentration, ‘nilam oil’ is used as flavour in food and beverages products.[1][2][3][4]
Soil Suitability and Climatic Requirement
‘Nilam’ survives well in tropical climate having a well distributed rain throughout the year with total annual rainfall of 1,500–2,500 mm and no long dry span. In general, ‘nilam’ grows well on various soil types as long as the soil is fertile, friable and with a good drainage.[1]
Field Preparation
Land Preparation
Land preparation is done before the onset of rain. One round of disc plough followed by two rounds of rotovation is sufficient to obtain a friable soil.[1]
Production of Planting Materials
‘Nilam’ can be propagated using stem cuttings. The stem is taken from vigorous and mature plants of about 8-9 months old in the field. Stem cutting of about 15 cm long with 3−5 nodes is usually used. The cutting is raised in the polybag (10 cm x 15 cm) filled with soil mixture consisting of soil and sand in the ratio of 2:1 to induce rooting. After two months, the rooted cuttings with leaves/leaflets are ready for field planting.[1]
Field Planting
‘Nilam’ is recommended to be planted at a planting density of 20,000 plants/ha with planting distant of 1.0 m between rows and 0.5 m between plants within a row. Planting is done at the onset of rain.[1]
Field Maintenance
Fertilisation
‘Nilam’ requires high amount of fertiliser for good growth and high yield. The recommended fertiliser rate is 180 kg N/ha, 90 kg P2O5/ha and 120 kg K2O/ha. The fertiliser is divided into four equal parts and applied on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th month after field planting. For ratoon crop, the fertiliser is applied during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd month after the harvest of main crop.[1]
Weed Control
Weed control is done as early as during land preparation. At the early growth stages, manual weeding is done around the plants and interrow cultivation. Contact herbicides can be used to control the weeds between the rows.[1]
Water Management
Sufficient water supply is very crucial for good growth and high yield of ‘nilam’. Irrigation is needed during the first month of crop establishment. The plants have to be watered every day if there is no rain. Watering is reduced to every 2−3 days for the established crops (2 months after field planting). Sprinkler irrigation system is recommended.[1]
Pest and Disease Control
In general, there was no main pest on ‘nilam’ reported. For the disease, it was reported that ‘nilam’ is attacked by `buduk’ which makes the leaves become curly and died. The cause of these diseases is not known but to avoid them it is recommended to use vigorous, disease-free planting materials and practise good crop management.[1]
Harvesting
‘Nilam’ can be harvested after 6−7 months planting in the field. The yield of fresh leaves is 30 t/ha. Harvesting is done manually by cutting the branches at 15−20 cm above the ground. About 2−3 branches are left to remain on every plant. This is to enhance the growth of subsequent new branches. The harvest is done carefully by using secateurs or shears to ensure the plant is not pulled out that may damage the roots. Cutting harshly may disturb the roots and consequently the plant will dry and die. Ratoon crop is harvested at 3−4 months after the harvest of the main crop. The yield of fresh leaves is 18−20 t/ha. Observation showed that the yield of ratoon crop dropped drastically after the first ratoon. Therefore, ‘nilam’ is recommended to be replanted after the second harvest. Harvesting is done in the early morning when the ‘nilam’ leaves contain optimum amount of oil.[1][5]
Postharvest Handling
After harvesting, the leaves are normally dried for 4−5 hours under the sunlight. Proper drying is needed to ensure the quality of oil is maintained. Subsequently, the leaves are air-dried under the shade for 3−4 days before distillation. The water content of leaves should be maintained below 15%. The ratio of fresh leaves to dried leaves is 5:1 or about 20%. The dried ‘nilam’ leaves can be stored in gunny sacks for quite sometime before distillation. Distillation process takes about 5−6 hours. The yields of extracted oil from ‘nilam’ leaves are about 0.65% of the fresh leaves. One hectare of ‘nilam’ can produce 195 kg of extracted oil from the main crop and 117−130 kg from the ratoon crop.[1][5]
Estimated Cost Of Production
The cost of producing one kilogramme of fresh ‘nilam’ is about RM0.30 based on the yield of fresh leaves at 50 t/ha from the two harvests (main and ratoon crops) and the production cost of RM14,750/ha. The cost of producing one kilogramme of extracted oil is estimated about RM84 based on the yield of extracted oil at 325 kg/ha and the total production cost of RM27,200. The production cost was estimated based on the cost of current inputs during writing of this article.[1]
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References
- Abdul Rahman Azmil, I. and Ahmad, W. (2005). Nilam (Pogostemon cablin). In: Penanaman tumbuhan ubatan & beraroma. (Musa, Y., Muhammad Ghawas, M. and Mansor, P. ed.). Pg. 118-123. Serdang: MARDI
- Anon. 2002. Compendium of Medicinal Plants Used in Malaysia (Vol. 2) Pg 244, Kuala Lumpur : HMRC-IMR
- Kamarudin Mat-Salleh and Latiff, A. (editor). 2002. Tumbuhan Ubatan Malaysia. Pg. 524, UKM
- Musa, Y. Azimah, K. and Zaharah, H. 2009. Tumbuhan Ubatan Popular Malaysia. Pg 72, Serdang : MARDI
- Ahmad, A.W., Abd. Rahman Azmil, I. and Mohd Noh, J. (1999). Production and processing of essential oils crops (tea-tree, patchouli, kesum and vanilla). International Conference and Exhibition on Herbs, 9-10 November 1999. The Mines Resort Hotel, Serdang, Selangor.
