Fenugreek (Methi)

Prepared By,

Emrana Perveen

Methi leave

A natural Important Crops Which You Don’t Know

Fenugreek (Methi)

Fenugreek is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small scientific classification The English name derives via Middle French Fenugrec from Latin faenugraec. The plant has small round leaves, is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop, and is a common ingredient in dishes from the Indian Subcontinent. It is known as methi.

Description:

 A member of the bean family, fenugreek grows as an upright annual with long, slender stems reaching 30 to 60 cm tall. The plant bears grey-green, 3-toothed leaves, and white or pale yellow flowers appear in summer and develop into long, slender, sword-shaped seed pods with a curved, beaklike tip. Each pod contains about 10 to 20 small, yellowish-brown, angular seeds, which are dried to form the commercial spice. The plant thrives in full sun and in rich, well-drained soils, and has a spicy odor that remains on the hands after contact.

Forage management: 

Fenugreek is naturally found in field verges, uncultivated ground, dry grasslands and hillsides in semi-highland and regions. Fenugreek is grown as a cool season crop in India and the Mediterranean region, both irrigated and as a rained crop. It grows on a wide range of preferably well drained soils with a pH ranging from 5.3 to 8.2. Wet soils are not suitable. In cooler areas, growth is slow and weak during cold periods and it is better grown as a summer crop. The seeds require warm dry weather for ripening and harvest. Fenugreek optimally grows in places where annual temperatures are in the range of 8-27°C and where annual rainfall is between 400-1500 mm. It is a full-sunlight species

How sowing:

Fenugreek intended for forage can be either sown in spring or autumn, according to climate. As a forage it should be broadcast or drilled at 20-30 kg/ha in pure stands or often mixed with oats. Mixtures with small cereals are best for haymaking.

 

Methi Tree

When its time of harvest:

Time of harvest should be a trade-off between forage quality and forage yield. If harvested too late, fenugreek sheds its leaves and forage palatability is reduced, while if harvested too early, dry matter content is low and the plant is difficult to cure. The best period of harvest for green fodder is thus when the plant is still tender with only basal pods at the first stage of their development. For hay, the most important goal is to save the most leaves on the stems. This corresponds to pods being in the second stage of their development and containing well-formed seeds, which increase the crude protein.

How methods of harvest:

Fenugreek can be hand-cut or mechanically harvested by farm cutting equipment or by conventional mowers, conditioners and rakes. The use of rectangular balers and forage harvesters have also been recommended. If fenugreek is cut under dry conditions, the plant can be left in thin layers to cure on the soil. If harvesting conditions are wet, it is recommended to oven-dry the plant or to make it into silage. Another way to use fenugreek forage is to cut it after seed harvest, forage being thus similar to straw, with a relatively low palatability.

Methi seeds

Why people uses Methi:

In ancient time fenugreek was mainly used as fodder in the Mediterranean Basin. Its Latin name "foenum-graecum" means geek hay. In India, this plant is still grown for fodder. Green parts are highly aromatic and are used as a pot herb and spice. Fenugreek seeds are edible and used as condiments. They yield an oil that is used to flavour butterscotch, cheese, liquorice, pickles, rum, syrup and vanilla.

The oil is used in perfume and cosmetic industries. The seeds are used as flavouring agents for maple syrup, cheese and curries. They contain diospenin, a drug used in the synthesis of hormones. Seed husks are a source of mucilage, oil, sapogenin and protein. Plant residues or whole plants may be used as green manure and fuel.

Nutritive value of Methi:

Fenugreek seeds are particularly rich in protein (about 26-27% DM) with limited amounts of fibre and fat. One notable characteristic of fenugreek seeds is that the endosperm tissue is composed almost entirely of galactomannan and accounts for about 30% DM of the seed weight. After full hydration of the seed, the endosperm contains about 70% of the imbibed water.

Fenugreek can provide high quality forage, comparable to alfalfa forage, at almost all stages of growth. Fenugreek forage grown in greenhouses and cut at 15 and 19 week-old was reported to have higher in vitro DM digestibility than alfalfa at early bloom stage, and similar gas production. Protein content was higher in the early stages of growth (9 week-old) of fenugreek. Total gas production of mature fenugreek (19 week-old) was similar to that of alfalfa at early-bloom stage, and volatile fatty acids were similar as

Collected for use

Fenugreek is both a high quality forage and a dry land adapted crop. In Canada, fenugreek could help beef producers in reducing animal feed requirements through increased feed efficiency, and in reducing water consumption for crop production.

Scientific name: Trigon Ella foenum-graecum

Rank: Species.

Did you know: Fenugreek is one of the few plants that's used as a seasoning both in seed form and leaf form another organ.                                                   

Contraindications:

Contraindications have not yet been identified. Avoid if an allergy to any member of the Fabaceae family exists. Cross-reactivity to chickpea, peanut, or coriander allergy is possible.

Pregnancy/Lactation:

Methi oil

Avoid use in pregnancy. Fenugreek has documented uterine stimulant effects and has been used in traditional medicine to induce childbirth. Studies in pregnant mice have shown intrauterine growth retardation and fatal malformations related to fenugreek seed consumption. Fenugreek has been used to stimulate milk production in breast-feeding women; however, the extent of transmission of fenugreek-derived constituents into breast milk is unknown.

Interactions:

Interactions with blood-thinning and low blood sugar agents are possible; monitor therapy.

Side Effects:

Stomach problems and mild abdominal distention have been reported in studies using large doses of the seeds. When ingested in culinary quantities, there are usually no side effects. Allergy to fenugreek is recognized.

Toxicology:

Acute toxicity from large doses of fenugreek has not been described, although low blood sugar is possible.

(All information is collected different source)