The crop prefers warm and moist sandy loam forest soil, rich in humus and potash. A high well distributed rail fall ( minimum 200 cm. ), a temperature range of 10 to 38 degree centigrade and the altitudes of 500 to 600 meters, and sides shelter from strong wind constitute the most suitable environment for ipecac cultivation.

The crop could be raised from seeds shoot and root cuttings. The vegetative propagation, however, shortens commercial varities are known , mainly after the name of the country of origin. Seeds are small and are sown by broad cast by during January and March in well prepared and heavily manuared raised seedbeds of convenient size. About 35 g. of seed is sown per square meter. The average germination is 30 percent and the seed take 3-5 months to germinate. The seedbeds are shaded during the day and kept moist and free from weeds. Seedlings about 4 cm. tall, are tranferred to the rooted nursery, with 5x5 cm spacing between the plants after the monsoon rains are over. They remain there till the following March and April, when they are again tranferred to a third side with spacing of 20x20 cm. between the plants. The plants remain there for three year till the roots are dug out.

Ipecac is thus slow growing 4 year crop which is very exacting in its requirement for continous shad, moist beds ( but no water logging ) and regular interculture. The plants give out dark green elliptical leaves and bear white flowers and small dark-purple globose berries in the second year. The flowers are dimorphic, heterostylous ( and therefore cross pollinated ) and are formed in group of 6-8. The berries ripen during September - October. The seed is white, plano-convex, 5-6 x 1.5-2 mm. and is cover with a hard tests. About 1/3 of the seeds are sterile. The growing plants require a good amount of nutrient supply which is mainly added to the soil through heavy organic manuring; information on the use of inorganic fertilizers is not known. Each plant forms 2-3 long rhizomes which are dug out during dry weather; the rhizomes are cleaned of the adhering soil and rapidly dried in the direct sun for 2 -3 days. The dry rhizomes are broken into smaller pieces and finally packed in bales for transporting to the extraction sides. The yield varies from 600-1000 kg. of roots per hectare.

The roots contain emetine caphaeline and psychotrine as its main alkaloids; emetine, however is the most important. The average total alkaloid content in the Indian crop is 2.5 percent of which 1.3-1.4 percent is emetine. The alkaloids are extracted in the form of their salts viz. emetine sulphate and emetime hydrocloride, for marketing. According to the Indian pharmacopoeia ( 1966 ), the ipecac, of which not less than 50% should consist of nonphenolic alkaloids.

The seed beds are sometimes infested with Fusarium and Rhizoctonia spp. causing damage to the plant suitable fungicids may be used to control the infection of the plants.