Cultivation of medicinal plants requires intensive care and management. The conditions and duration of cultivation required vary depending on the quality of medicinal plant materials required. If no scientific published or documented cultivation data are available, traditional methods of cultivation should be followed, where feasible. Otherwise a method should be developed through research.

The principles of good plant husbandry, including appropriate rotation of plants selected according to environmental suitability, should be followed, and tillage should be adapted to plant growth and other requirements.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) techniques should be followed where appropriate, especially in the build-up of organic matter and conservation of soil humidity. Conservation Agriculture also includes "no-tillage" systems.⁴

⁴ Conservation Agriculture (CA) aims to conserve, improve and make more efficient use of natural resources through integrated management of available soil, water and biological resources combined with external inputs. It contributes to environmental conservation as well as to enhanced and sustained agricultural production. It can also be referred to as resource-efficient/resource- effective agriculture. More information can be found at www.fao.org/ag/AGS/AGSE/main.htm