Herbal Harvest Quiz Quiz

Explore essential facts about cultivating medicinal plants in horticulture, covering best practices, key species, and foundational requirements for successful herbal farming.

1. Ideal Soil for Medicinal Herbs

   Which type of soil is generally considered most suitable for cultivating most medicinal herbs like basil and mint in horticulture?

   1. Waterlogged sandy soil
   2. Heavy clay soil
   3. Well-drained loamy soil
   4. Rocky soil

   Explanation: Well-drained loamy soil provides the right balance of water retention and aeration, crucial for healthy herb growth. Heavy clay can hinder root development, rocky soils lack nutrients, and waterlogged sandy soils can cause root rot or poor nutrient availability.

2. Light Requirement Example

   If you want to maximize essential oil content in lavender, which cultivation practice is most important?

   1. Using only inorganic fertilizers
   2. Ensuring full sunlight exposure
   3. Watering excessively
   4. Planting in deep shade

   Explanation: Full sunlight is essential for lavender to synthesize high levels of essential oils. Deep shade reduces oil production, inorganic fertilizers alone may not benefit medicinal quality, and too much water can harm the plant.

3. Irrigation Practices

   When establishing a medicinal aloe vera field, what is the most recommended irrigation method for water efficiency?

   1. Overhead sprinklers
   2. Surface flooding
   3. Drip irrigation
   4. Rain-fed only

   Explanation: Drip irrigation delivers water directly to the root zone, minimizing waste and disease risk. Surface flooding is inefficient and causes root problems, overhead sprinklers increase leaf diseases, and rain-fed only may not provide sufficient moisture in drier areas.

4. Plant Spacing Significance

   Why is proper plant spacing important in the cultivation of medicinal plants like ashwagandha?

   1. To save space regardless of disease
   2. To ensure air circulation and reduce disease
   3. To encourage weed growth
   4. To water all plants simultaneously

   Explanation: Proper spacing promotes good air movement, helping prevent diseases and supporting healthy growth. Planting too close may foster disease; saving space alone can compromise health, and encouraging weeds or simultaneous watering are not main reasons for spacing.

5. Harvest Timing Example

   For which reason is harvesting calendula flowers early in the morning often recommended?

   1. Pest pressure is lowest
   2. Roots are easier to pull
   3. Active compounds are highest
   4. Soil is drier

   Explanation: Many medicinal plants, including calendula, have the highest concentration of active compounds like essential oils early in the morning. Lower pest pressure, easier root pulling, and soil dryness are not the main factors influencing harvest timing.