ABSTRACT
Withania somnifera is a miracle medicinal crop used traditionally in Ayurveda and Siddha for treating various diseases in South Asia. The root is the principal productive part of the Ashwagandha plant employed widely in the Indian system of medicine. The root is having potential medicinal properties and contains several alkaloids. One of the major alkaloids, Withanoloides, helps improving reproductive system in men and women, antistress, antioxidant, antiaging, diuretic, hypothyroid, immunomodulatory, antidementia, antihyperglycemic, anti-hypercholesterolemic, and cardiovascular activity. Leaves contain Withaferin A and B used for the treatment of thyroid and insomnia problems. It is drought tolerant cultivated mainly in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and other states of India. Simple cultivation practices and higher root price attracting the farmer to grow Withania somnifera crop in large scale. The main challenges posed by farmers are interference of middlemen, lack of organized market, fluctuation in root price, demand-supply of roots, climatic variation, lower root yield, lack of availability of improved varieties, high fiber content in some location, lack of knowledge about improved post-harvest technology and problem occurrence with long term storage of roots.
