The detection of

Herbs are staging a comeback and herbal „renaissance‟ is happening all over the globe. Medicinal and aromatic plants form a numerically large group of economically important plants; hence makes sense to rationalize the use of medicinal plants through scientific screening and validation. In the present investigation KI-2 genotype of A. paniculata; which was found to be the best genotype among the 15 genotypes collected from chhattishgarh and adjoining state as screened in kharif-2006, was multiplied in a field plot in rabi season. Morphological and phytochemical (andrographolide content) data was collected and compared with the data obtained in kharif season. The parameters compared for morphological characters were plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, dry weight of whole plant, leaf colour and flower colour. The result shows that plant height and number of leaves were almost same (non significant difference) in KI-2 genotype grown in rabi and kharif seasons, where as leaf length (6.98 ± 0.14 cm), leaf width (2.96 ± 0.06 cm), dry weight of whole plant (50.00 ± 1.0 gm) is more in kharif season crop. Number of branches (25.30 ± 1.06) is more in rabi season crop. The result interprets that the dry weight of Andrographis paniculata grown in kharif season is almost 3 times than in rabi season crop, which shows reduction in production by 3 times in rabi season. The HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) method was used to estimate the phytochemical (andrographolide) variation in kharif and rabi seasons of A. paniculata. The average amount of andrographolide is 1.85 ± 0.17 % in kharif season and 8.12 ± 0.63 % in rabi season. The result found is significant and may be due to stress (environment, biotic/abiotic). Though the percentage of active ingredient have been increased by almost 4 times in rabi season, but the dry weight of whole plant reduced drastically by almost 3 times, that means the production of rabi season lower down by 3 times. Therefore, we can say that the genotype KI-2 accumulates more andrographolide in rabi season as compared to kharif season but the production is quite low, if we could optimized proper package of practice for cultivation of Andrographis paniculata in rabi season, the economical value of plant can be increased. Optimized package of practice of cultivation will increase the production along with maximum andrographolide content for better prospects in future. Department of Biotechnology Dr. (Smt.) Zenu Jha College of Agriculture (Major Advisor) IGKV, Raipur (C.G.) Date: