Amla (Amloki) is a super important fruit in every Bengali household. Bengalis can’t live without Amla! Farmers are also really excited about growing amla right now. Amla is a woody plant. Its English name is Indian Gooseberry and its scientific name is Emblica officinalis Gaertn. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. Amla is found in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, and China. You can spot amla plants in almost all the rural areas of Bangladesh, and they’re also found in the deciduous forests of the Dhaka-Tangail area.
Amla is a medium-sized deciduous plant that usually grows to about 30 to 35 feet tall. The leaves are long and feathery, resembling tamarind leaves, and the plant produces small, greenish-yellow flowers with more male flowers than female ones. When the fruits ripen, they’re round and have a sour taste, packed with about 700-1600 mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams. It’s no wonder why it’s considered one of the best fruits in Bangladesh!
As winter ends, the plant sheds its leaves, but don’t worry—new leaves and flowers will pop up in spring. The wood of the amla plant has a dull red or brownish-red color, and cultivating it can be quite profitable due to the low investment needed.
Uses of Amla
Amla also known as Indian gooseberry has various uses. It is commonly used as a source of vitamin C and antioxidants. Amla is a key ingredient in Ayurvedic Chyawanprash and is used to treat conditions such as asthma, anemia, jaundice, dysentery, pyorrhea, blindness, insomnia, and acidosis. The bark and leaves of the plant are also utilized, and Amla is a primary component of the Ayurvedic remedy Triphala.
Breeding of Amla
Amla plants can be propagated using two methods: seeds and grafting. When planting from seeds, just keep in mind that it might take a little longer for the plants to start bearing fruit. Also, sometimes seedlings pop up from the plant roots, and you can separate these and plant them directly in the ground.
You can find Amla seedlings in almost all nurseries in Bangladesh. If you end up cutting an Amla plant, don’t worry! New buds will sprout from the cut area and grow into a fully formed plant. Typically, Amla plants start bearing fruit within 4 to 5 years of planting, but it may take 7 to 8 years to reach full fruitfulness.
Soil Type
Amla thrives in sandy loam soil. If sandy loam soil is not available, you can mix sand with garden soil to create suitable soil for amla cultivation. It’s important to prepare the soil at least 1 month before planting by mixing dung manure with sandy loam soil.
Climate
Amla yields are better in regions with good rainfall, but it can also tolerate high temperatures. A warm and humid climate is ideal for amla cultivation, making it suitable for growing in most areas. However, it’s crucial to prevent waterlogging in the land as amla cannot thrive in waterlogged soil. To facilitate cultivation, the land must be elevated to prevent waterlogging.
Seed Collection
The Amla plant produces small yellowish flowers from March to May, but the fruits ripen from November to February. Amla is known for its delicious taste, and after eating it, the mouth feels sweet when drinking water. Amla is widely recognized for this unique characteristic. The fruit is drupe-shaped, and a kilogram typically contains 200-220 Amla fruits. Each fruit has 5-6 cells, with one seed in each cell. The fleshy part of the fruit is consumed, while the seeds with hard coatings burst when dried in the sun. Amla seeds should be collected from November to February. About 200-220 seeds can be obtained from each kilogram of Amla.
Seedling Preparation
Once the seeds are collected, they are sown in the soil or in seed beds. Summer is the ideal time for sowing seeds after preparing a good seed bed. Under these conditions, the seeds start to grow within 15 days, but the germination rate is only 40%. To improve germination, the seeds should be soaked in cold water and then placed in the seed bed. Alternatively, the seeds can be subjected to a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes, after which they will begin to germinate in 10 days with a germination rate of up to 80 percent. Irrigation should be provided to the seed bed as necessary. By keeping the seed bed free from weeds and providing proper care, seedlings suitable for planting in the main field can be produced within 90 days. Seedlings produced in the first monsoon can be kept in the seed bed to grow and then planted in the next monsoon.
Method of Planting
Before planting seedlings, it’s important to level the land. If the land is flat, you can plant in a square, rectangular, or triangular pattern. For high or hilly land, the contour method should be used.
About 15-20 days before transplanting, you should dig holes that are 2 feet deep, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet long, at a distance of 15 feet x 15 feet. Mix well-rotted organic manure and sand with the soil in the hole. Then, add 10-15 kg of dung manure or organic manure, 500 grams of TSP fertilizer, 250 grams of MOP fertilizer, and 200 grams of gypsum fertilizer, and mix it all well with the soil in the hole. After 15-20 days, plant the seedlings in the middle of the hole. Make sure the root of the seedling is straight and press the soil at the base from all sides.
Care of Amla Plant
Taking care of an Amla plant is really important. First, make sure to water it regularly and keep the area around the plant free from weeds. Also, don’t forget to support the soil at the base of the plant. Giving it good care in the first year will make it easier to maintain in the following years.
Fertilizer Application
For 1-2 year old plants: Organic fertilizer – 5-10 kg, Urea – 200 grams, TSP – 100 grams, MOP – 100 grams, Gypsum – 50 grams.
For 3-5 year old plants: Organic fertilizer – 10-15 kg, Urea – 300-500 grams, TSP – 200-300 grams, MOP – 200-300 grams, Gypsum – 100 grams.
Method of Harvesting
When it comes to harvesting, it can take about five to six years for Amla plants to produce fruit. The first fruits may be limited, and not all plants will bear fruit. You’ll know the fruits are ready to pick when they turn greenish or yellow from November to February, which is when they have the most medicinal properties.
Medicinal Properties of Amla
Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, has been widely recognized for its medicinal properties in both Ayurvedic and conventional medicine. Ayurveda recommends using Amla to treat various lifestyle diseases. Here are some of its medicinal properties:
- Amla is beneficial in preventing colds, mouth sores, dandruff, and constipation.
- Triphala, a combination of amla, haritaki, and bahera in equal amounts, is a potent remedy for reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. Research led by Indian cardiologist Mr. P. Thakur and his team at Patna Medical College found that Triphala is more effective in lowering cholesterol than some modern allopathic medicines. They also noted that Haritaki is of the highest quality, followed by Amla and then Behra. Their research paper has been published in an American international journal, highlighting the additional benefits of Triphala for the spleen and liver.
- Amla fruit is rich in vitamin C and possesses diuretic, carminative, and antipyretic properties. It can help with insomnia, flatulence, acidity, eye diseases, bilious pain, vomiting, white matter disease, hemorrhoids, diarrhea, dysentery, anemia, jaundice, and skin problems.
- Amla flowers have cooling and antipyretic effects.
Nutritional Value of Amla
The nutritional value of Amla makes it a highly nutritious and affordable fruit. Incorporating Amla into your daily diet can lead to noticeable changes within a few days. Amla is known for boosting immunity, promoting good bone health, and aiding in weight loss due to its rich content of polyphenols, iron, vitamins, and minerals. In addition to Amla juice, Amla churn is popular in various regions, along with Amla pickles, lozenges, marmalade, and chutney. In South India, Amla is used in a type of dal. Amla is also rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, leading many to believe that it may be effective in preventing cancer. Furthermore, Amla is commonly used in shampoos, hair oils, tonics, facials, and scrubs, and can work miracles for skin and hair health when included in your daily diet.
