Coriander, wild mustard, chicory, and fenugreek
Karbala experiments with organic medicinal plants
KARBALA — A farm in Karbala has successfully cultivated four types of medicinal and aromatic plants in a first-of-its-kind experiment for the governorate, using organic methods in challenging conditions.
The Shahid Qais Aziz Al-Hamdani Farm, located in the Al-Wand sub-district’s Arab Dhiab area, grew coriander, wild mustard, chicory, and fenugreek. Other plants, including anise, black seed, ammi, and quinoa, were not successful.
The initiative, led by the Department of Guidance and Agricultural Training under the Karbala Directorate of Agriculture, aimed to explore cultivating these plants using only organic fertilizers on 30-square-meter plots under natural conditions.
Mohammed Mehdi Kazem, the head of agricultural engineers on the farm, told 964media that the experiment faced difficulties due to poor drainage and non-fertile clay soil. “The successful cultivation of half the experiment species showcases the potential for medicinal and aromatic plants in the area, provided they find suitable growing conditions,” he said.
Project leaders aim to establish facilities to extract medicinal and aromatic substances from the thriving plants, potentially bringing significant economic benefits, according to Kazem.
The plants have a wide range of uses, from ingredients in perfumes and spices to components in pharmaceuticals, medical preparations, cosmetics, hair creams, soaps, and even pesticides.