The production of fenugreek in India is marked by its dominant position in world production and export. Within India

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

accounts for its largest cropped area and production. The fenugreek plant is an annual herbaceous forage legume with aroma, which is used for food in the form of its seeds as spices, and its leaves as a vegetable. It is also used as a medicinal herb in several Ayurvedic formulations for treatment of dry skin, boils, hair loss and so forth.

Names

Fenugreek's botanical name is ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'' in the subfamily of Papilioacae of the family of Leguminosae (bean family, Fabaceae) In India, it is known as ''methi'' in

Hindi Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

, Oriya,

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, Punjabi and

Urdu language Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

, ''menthya'' in

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

, ''vendayam'' or ''Venthayam'' in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

, ''menthulu'' in Telugu and ''uluva'' in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

. It is termed as ''Medhika'' or ''Chandrika'' in

Sanskrit language Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the lat ...

History

It is believed that fenugreek was known in the

Indian cuisine Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, he ...

even 3,000 years ago. Its growth in the wild is reported from Kashmir,

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

and the Upper

Gangetic plains The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain encompassing northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including most of northern and eastern India, around half of Pakistan, virtually all of Ba ...

Its use is also reported in ancient Egypt and India, and later in Greece and Rome. A notable practice reported is its use as fumigant in incense burning in religious ceremonies in Egypt to spread "Holy Smoke". It was also used for

embalming Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them (in its modern form with chemicals) to forestall decomposition. This is usually done to make the deceased suitable for public or private viewing as part of the funeral ...

. Other countries where it is grown are Argentina, Egypt and Mediterranean region. Use of its seed as a spice, and its leaves and tender pods as vegetable were also reported. It was also used as cattle feed.

Description

Fenugreek is an annual herb growing to a height of up to . The leaves are pale green and consist of three leaflets with toothed margins. The whitish flowers are produced singly or in pairs in April and May. They are followed by bean-like pods long containing up to twenty small, grooved, yellowish-brown seeds. The leaves are rich in the nutrients carotene,

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient for humans. It is a group of organic compounds that includes retinol, retinal (also known as retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and several provitamin A carotenoids (most notably ...

, ascorbic acid,

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

, and

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

. The seeds are composed of "protein, starch, sugar, mucilage, minerals, volatile oil, fixed oil, vitamins and enzymes". They smell of curry but are quite bitter and contain

coumarin Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by a lactone-like chain , forming a second six-membered h ...

oil. The seeds also contain '' diosgenin'' which is used in the manufacture of

oral contraceptives Oral contraceptives, abbreviated OCPs, also known as birth control pills, are medications taken by mouth for the purpose of birth control. Female Two types of female oral contraceptive pill, taken once per day, are widely available: * The combin ...

Production

India is the largest producer of fenugreek in the world. During 2011–12, production was 121,775 tonnes of seeds from an area of . Its seed is traded as a spice, and in an oil extract form as ''

oleoresin Oleoresins are semi-solid extracts composed of resin and essential or fatty oil, obtained by evaporation of the solvents used for their production. The oleoresin of conifers is known as crude turpentine or gum turpentine, which consists of oil of ...

''. India consumes most of the seeds. Its export was 799 tonnes in 1960–61, and increased greatly to 15,135 tons by 1995–96 and then to 21,800 tonnes during 2011–12. It was exported to UAE, Sri Lanka, and Japan, and European countries of UK, Netherlands, Germany and France. Within the country its seed production is the highest in the state of

followed by

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

and Uttaranchal. In Rajasthan, which accounts for a significant majority of India's total output, the crop is mainly grown during the winter season. Other states where it is grown in fairly good quantity are

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

, Punjab and

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

. There are several varieties of fenugreek grown in the country.

Cultivation method

Fenugreek_seeds(%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BF)

The plant is generally cultivated throughout the year in areas where the climate is moderately cool, and frost free (particularly during the stage of the plant's "flowering and early grain formation") with clear sky. It is grown in many types of soils which have rich organic content. The preferred soil type is loamy or sandy loam with pH value in the range of 6–7 and with good drainage conditions for better yield. In

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

, the sowing season is from the last week of October to the first week of November. It is grown in both the cropping seasons of Rabi and Kharif in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

– first fortnight of October during Rabi and second fortnight of June–July during Kharif. The amount of seeds used for sowing during both seasons is generally 25 kg/ha. The yield is more during Rabi season. The average yield is about 10–11 q/ha with 15–20 q/ha achievable with improved varieties and optimal management methods. Prior to sowing, the seeds are subject to

Rhizobium ''Rhizobium'' is a genus of Gram-negative soil bacteria that fix nitrogen. ''Rhizobium'' species form an endosymbiotic nitrogen-fixing association with roots of (primarily) legumes and other flowering plants. The bacteria colonize plant cells ...

culture. Seeds are planted preferably in flat beds in rows 30 cm apart and spaced at 10 cm, and in depths of less than 5 cm. Farm yard manure or compost is used to enhance the fertility of the fields before sowing, say at 15 to 20 tons per ha. While sowing, chemicals added are 50 kg N/ha and 40 kg P205/ha, depending on the inherent fertility values of the soil which can be ascertained by testing the soil. Irrigation water is provided immediately after sowing and then after 30, 70–75, 85–90, and 105–110 days; good drainage is facilitated to prevent any water-logging. Other cultivation methods of hoeing and weeding are done as required. Harvesting is done when the lower leaves of the plant start shedding and the pods turn colour. Timely manual harvesting is done by way of cutting using sickles. The harvested plants are tied in bundles and dried for 5–7 days. Threshing, by hand or using mechanical methods, is done to separate the seeds from the plants. A vacuum gravity separator or spiral gravity separator is used to clean the seeds which are then graded. Disinfected jute bags are used to store the graded seeds and they are kept in moisture-free and airy chambers.

Uses

Fenugreek's seed or pulse is used as a spice and its leaves used as a herb, and also as an admixture in condiments and to flavour food. Its pods and leaves are used as vegetables, as the leaves are rich in protein, minerals and Vitamin C. In

and Punjab, fresh fenugreek leaf is used in culinary dishes. In its dried form it is used like any other spice. Seed is also sprouted and used. Various health benefits are claimed for fenugreek.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Asia topic, Fenugreek production in Agricultural production in India by commodity Edible legumes Indian cuisine Leaf vegetables Medicinal plants of Asia Nitrogen-fixing crops Spices Traditional medicine in India Trifolieae