How to grow betel leaf plant: The betel leaf plant, also known as Piper betle, is a tropical plant that is often used in traditional medicine. The leaves of the plant are used to make a chewable stimulant that is popular in many parts of the world. The plant is also used to make tea that is said to have detoxifying properties.
The betel leaf plant ( Piper betle) is a tropical evergreen vine that is widely grown throughout Southeast Asia for its leaves. Betel quid is typically made by combining the leaves with areca nut, slaked lime, and sometimes spices. It is a stimulant and is used to improve digestion and relieve pain.
Betel Leaf Plant
- English Name: Betel Leaf
- Botanical/Scientific Name: Piper betel.
- Family: Piperaceae.
- Origin: Betel vine is a perennial dioeciously creeper native of Malaysia.
Importance/benefits of betel leaf
Betel vine leaves have a strong, pungent aromatic flavor and are widely used as a masticatory. Mature leaves are used for chewing with smeared hydrated lime plus catechu, areca nut, clove, cardamom, clove, funnel, etc. Betel chewing is considered a good and cheap source of dietary calcium. Betel oil has several medicinal uses. Leaves also have religious importance.
Variety
Bangla, Mitha, Sanchi, Korpuri, Ujani, Maghi, Deshi, Barisal, Jali, BARI Paan 1, BARI Paan 2, BARI Paan 3.
How to grow betel leaf plant from cuttings
Betel leaf is an evergreen vine that is grown for its leaves which are used to make a chewable stimulant. The plant is easy to grow and can be started from cuttings or from seeds. Betel leaf grows best in warm, humid climates but can be grown in other climates if it is indoors. The leaves are harvested when they are young and tender.
Climate
Betel leaf grows very well in a tropical climate with high rainfall, and shady places are the best for its vigorous growth. It flourishes in areas with a rainfall of 225 to 475 cm.
Soil
Betel Leaf can be grown in a wide range of soils such as sandy loam, heavy clayey loam. Supplementing the soil with good organic matter results in the best growth and higher yield. Soil should have good drainage as well. Land should be raised by 5 to 10 cm from the adjacent areas.
Land Preparation
Land should be prepared by 45 plowing. Land should provide proper drainage. Afterward, field beds of sizes (15 cm height and 30 cm wide) are prepared. Soil should be sterilized thoroughly before planting the betel leaf cuttings.
Soil Sterilization
When the soil temperature rises from March to May, the soil is covered by polyethylene sheets to eradicate the inoculum of soil-borne pathogens.
Application of neem cake (0.5 tonnes/ha) or carbofuran @ 1.5 kg/ha Plus carbofuran (0.75 kg/ha) is also preferred to minimize early soil nematode population for new betel plantation. However, carbofuran should not be recommended or preferred in established betel plantations at any stage because a time gap of 65 to 75 days as a safe waiting period is mandatory between the harvesting of betel leaves and the application.
Planting time
The monsoon season is ideal for planting betel leaves plants under closed system cultivation. However, the planting season of betel leaves varies from region to region. November – December, and January – February is optimum for cultivation.
Propagation and Cultivation
In betel leaf propagation, stem cuttings having 3 to 5 nodes are used, and these are planted in such a fashion that 2 to 3 nodes are buried in the soil. A single node cutting with a mother betel leaf is also cultivated. Apical and middle portions cuttings of the betel vine are used for planting. There are 2 types of betel leaf cultivation is practiced in India and Bangladesh.
- Open system cultivation using support plants.
- Closed system cultivation using rectangular structures (artificial) called boroj.
Growing of support plants for natural support and shade
Plants of Moringa or Sesbania or Erythrina are raised to provide support and shade. These support plants are sown in 45 to 60 cm rows at least 45 days before planting the cuttings of betel leaf.
Building rectangular structures for artificial support and shade
Rectangular structures are typically made on a slightly sloppy field, near a watering source at a higher level than the adjoining place. Make sure to have slopes in all directions for quick water drainage. Boroj is just rectangular structures made up of sticks or bamboo, which generally have a height of 2 to 2.5 meters. These rectangular structures are covered with using straw or coconut leaves or similar kinds of material.
Planting of Betel Leaf cuttings
Basically, planting is done in rows, and spacing between plants varies from region to region. An average spacing is 75 cm to 100 cm. 42,000–75,000 cuttings are planted per hectare under open cultivation system whereas 1,00,000–1,25,000 cuttings per/ha are sufficient in rectangular closed cultivation system.
Manures and Fertilizers
Linseed cake, Oilseed cakes like Castor cake, neem cake, or sesamum cake can be applied. The cake is first soaked in water in a big earthen pot for a week or so. Then this slurry is applied at frequent intervals of the crop. Oil cakes in powder form can also be applied in the monsoon season.
- FYM: 15 Q/ ha/ year.
- N: 200 kg/ ha/ year.
- P2O5: 100 kg/ ha/ year.
- K2O: 100 kg/ ha/ year.
The manures and fertilizers should be applied in 4 to 6 divided doses at a 2 to 3 months interval.
Cultural Operation
Sets establish within 3 weeks. The first leaf comes within a month. From this time, it requires constant cutting by an expert hand. Following operations are needed to be carried out
- Thinning & pruning of leaves.
- Sapfilling.
- Earthing up.
- Irrigation and drainage.
Lowering of Vine
When the vines reach a height of about 3 feet, they lose their vitality and become challenging to harvest. They are often regulated by ‘Lowering them.’ It is a process in which vines are united from their support & their lower portion coiled and buried in the soil, leaving free only a few
nodes at the growing end. The best time of lowering is the summer season. This also helps in producing more tillers & vigorous growth of vines.
Training and pruning
One month after the plantation of betel leaf, young shoots begin appearing, and these are trained along with the support and tied with them using jute fiber or banana fiber once every 2 weeks to 3 weeks.
Irrigation
Since betel vine needs high soil moisture content, frequent light watering is required depending upon the season of the crop. Irrigation should be given on a need base, and proper drainage should be maintained during the rainy season.
Pest & Diseases
- Pests: Aphid, mites, Scale insects, Nematode, Mealybug, etc.
- Diseases: Foot rot, leaf spot, anthracnose, powdery mildew, etc.
Control
- Select well matured (more than 1-year-old) seed vines free from pests and diseases.
- Remove the affected vines away from the garden and burn them.
- Application of Trichoderma viride @ 5 g/vine.
- Spraying 0.2% Wettable sulfur after plucking the leaves for powdery mildew.
- Soil application of Bacillus subtilis (BVB 57) or Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10 g/vine to control root-knot nematode and quick wilt of betel vine.
- Spraying Malathion 50 EC 1 ml/lit.
Harvesting
Harvesting of leaves starts from 6 months to 18 months after planting, depending on soil and varieties; each vine is picked thrice or four times a year. Expert hands are needed for picking. Artificial nails are also used for harvesting. The crop yield is less in the first year, maximum in the middle, and less towards. The picked leaves are washed, cleaned, and sorted in different grades according to size, color, texture and maturity, and chewing quality.
Yield
- An average annual yield of a good betel leaves crop is about 60-75 leaves/plant and 6-7 million leaves/ha. This yield also depends on cultivation methods and the variety of betel leaves.