Principles And Guidelines For Good Agriculture Practice (Gap) Of Medicinal Plants

The guidelines described for GAP are intended to streamline the cultivation of medicinal plants as per
the well regulated methods and follow a systematic way in the cultivation process as it is important
for the production of good quality plant material.
The various stages of processing which are included in good agricultural practice (GAP) are described
as follows.
1) Seeds and propagation material
 The seeding materials are to be identified botanically, indicating plant variety, cultivar, chemo
type and its origin.
 The material used should be I00% traceable.
 The above same rule applies to vegetative material as well
 The parent material of vegetative part used in organic production should be certified and
authentically organic.
2) Cultivation
 Depending on the method of cultivation conventional or organic growers should be allowed to
follow different standards operating procedures (SOP) for cultivation
 Care should be taken to avoid environmental disturbances
 The principles of good crop husbandry must be followed including appropriate rotation of
crops
3) Soil and fertilization
 Medicinal and aromatic plants should not be grown in soils that are contaminated by sludge
 The soil should also not be contaminated by heavy metals, pesticidal residues and other
unnatural chemicals.
 The use of fertilizers and other chemical products should be as minimum as possible and in
accordance with the demands of the plant.
4) Irrigation
 Irrigation should be minimized as much as possible and only applied as per the needs of the
plant
 Irrigation water should be free from contaminants such as faeces, heavy metals, pesticides,
herbicides and other hazardous substances.
5) Crop maintenance
 Tillage (preparation of land for growing crops) should be adapted to enable good plant growth
and must be carried out whenever required.
 Pesticides and herbicides should be avoided as far as possible.
 The use of pesticides and herbicides has to be documented.
6) Harvesting
 Harvesting should be done when the plants are in their best quality and quantity.
 Harvesting should be done in optimum conditions as wet soil, dew, rain, high humidity can
produce unfavourable effects.
7) Primary processing
 It includes steps such as washing, drying, freezing etc,
 Buildings used for processing should be clean, aerated and provide protection for the
harvested crop from birds, insects, rodents and animals.
 Processing equipment must be cleaned and regularly serviced.
 All the processed material should be inspected and substandard products must be discarded.
8) Packaging
 The product should be packed in clean, dry preferably new sacs, bags or cases
 The label must be clear, permanently fixed and made from non toxic material.
 Reusable packaging materials should be well cleaned and dried before use, care should be
taken that they do not cause contamination.
9) Storage and transport
 Packaged dried materials and essential oils should be stored in a dry, well aerated building in
which temperature fluctuations are controlled and good aeration is provided.
 Fresh products should be stored between 1 to 5°C, while frozen products should be stored
below -18°C or below -20°C for long term storage.
 Essential oils should be stored as per the chemical storage standards.
 During transportation, sufficiently aerated vehicles should be used.
 National regulations on transport have to be followed
10) Staff requirements
Personnel involved in the good agricultural practice (GAP) should receive adequate training and
education related to the nature of the work being carried out.
 The staffs who works with the plant material must have a high degree of personal hygiene.
 Staff with infectious diseases should not be allowed into the rooms in which they can come
into contact with plant material
11) Documentation
 All the propagation material and steps in the production process must be documented.
 All the starting materials, processing steps including location of cultivation have to be
documented
 All agreements between producer and buyer should be fixed in a written form.
12) Quality assurance
 In order to ensure a good quality of the produced crude drug, it is extremely advisable to
educate all personnel dealing with the crop at various stages.
 Consultation and feedback should be taken from buyers of medicinal and aromatic plants
regarding the quality and other properties of plant material and an agreement have to be
made.