Rapid Fire
Major Breakthrough in Indigenous Heeng Cultivation
- 11 Jun 2025
- 2 min read
After about 5 years of continuous effort, the first flowering and seed setting of heeng (asafoetida) at IHBT Palampur were successfully reported. This achievement is a landmark milestone in heeng cultivation, demonstrating that the plant can be acclimatized to Indian conditions.
- In 2020, the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur launched a national mission to introduce heeng cultivation with plantation in Kwaring village, Lahaul Valley (HP), using seeds sourced from Iran and Afghanistan.
Heeng
- About: This plant is a perennial herb belonging to the Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) family.
- The oleo-gum resin, extracted from the plant’s thick root after 5 years of maturity, forms the edible asafoetida used in culinary and medicinal applications.
- Ideal Environmental Conditions: Heeng thrives in cold, arid climates such as those found in Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.
- The plant prefers sandy, well-drained soils with minimal moisture. It requires temperatures between 10-20°C but can tolerate extremes of 40°C in the heat and -4°C in the cold.
- It also needs very little rainfall (under 300 mm annually) for optimal growth.
- In India, regions such as Lahaul-Spiti and Uttarkashi are well-suited for cultivating heeng due to their semi-arid, high-altitude conditions.
- Significance: This ancient Ayurvedic herb, mentioned in the Mahabharata, Charaka Samhita, and Panini's texts, is prized for its digestive benefits, relieving abdominal pain, enhancing taste, and aiding digestion.
- Despite being the world’s largest consumer, India relied entirely on imports from Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan until early last decade.
| Read More: Heeng Cultivation Project in India |
