Some of the indigo plants are left to flower to collect seeds to be planted the following year. Same cycle is repeated the following year. It's only in the second harvest the seeds start to sprout.Īfter the second harvest, crops such as groundnuts or corn are grown following the crop rotation process so as to increase soil fertility and yield better crop. In another 90 days, the plants are tall enough for a second harvest. The plants in the first harvest are smaller in comparison to the second and third harvest and are cut about 10 cms above the ground to allow for re-growth. The first harvest is after 90 days of sowing. The crop is estimated to grow to its harvest-ready height in 90 days. The crop requires instinctive and attentive care of regular de-weeding to ensure the saplings are not over-run by wild grass and weeds. Watered diligently, the seeds begin to show signs of sprouting in a few days. Indigo seeds soaked overnight to initiate the germination process are set into troughs or directly into well tilled earth, prepared in a nourishing combination of fresh soil, peat and cow dung. This is true in the case of most species, especially Indigofera. No fertiliser is used in indigo fields, as this plant belongs to the legume family and captures atmospheric nitrogen for its growth. To start another cycle, sowing is also conveniently possible as the seeds can be obtained from the last harvest by letting few plants to bloom flowers that turn to seed bearing beans, that can be dried to obtain seeds. Being perennial in nature, plants of all varieties yield the dye at least thrice a year. Although climate and conditions are expected to be most ideal, however to produce top quality dye there is required constant vigilance at every stage by avoid any flooding and weeding apart from sowing best variety of seeds. The crop needs to be protected from excessive rainfall, water logging and hailstorms. Indigo is a tropical crop but it can also be grown in temperate areas. The indigo crop in general is tolerant enough to grow successfully almost anywhere between sea level and five thousand feet, where there is sufficient warmth and water. Lastly, the most popular one, Tinctoria is present all throughout the subcontinent. Besides, Coerulea is present all across ranging from the Deccan Plateau, Northern Plains to the North-West along with Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar. Arrecta can be widely found in Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar. The Suffruticosa is exclusively confined to the North-Eastern states along with Andaman & Nicobar, whereas Longiracemosa is confined to the southern states. The most important indigo yielding species of India include Indigofera Arrecta, Indigofera Coerulea, Indigofera Longiracemosa, Indigofera Suffruticosa and Indigofera Tinctoria. The genus is most diverse in Peninsular India followed by the Himalayas. In India alone, sixty species of Indigofera are known.
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