The effectiveness of agro-technological methods of medicinal crops growing on irrigation

The article presents the results of experimental studies on optimizing the planting density of medicinal plants of the Lamiaceae Juss family. (Gubotsviti) as a factor in the formation of their productivity in conditions of drip irrigation. Research work has been carried out with the most common medicinal crops of this family: oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) in the conditions of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine during 2016-2020 on the lands of the Experimental Station of Medicinal Plants of the Institute of Agroecology and Nature Management of NAAS (Lubny district of Poltava region) with the participation of the Institute of Water Problems and Land Reclamation of NAAS. In a one-factor field experiment, 8 elementary variants of planting density were studied: from 33 thousand / ha to 222,0 thousand /ha. Studies have shown that, despite genetic relatedness, members of the family Lamiaceae Juss. have a demonstrably different response to the density of planting under drip irrigation. Thus, the highest yield of dried oregano grass for both the first and second year of cultivation was obtained in the variant with a planting density of 166,7 thousand plants / ha. The most productive crops of lemon balm in the first and second years of cultivation were at a density of 83,3 thousand plants / ha. The highest yield of thyme for the first year was obtained in the variant of 222,0 thousand plants / ha, and for the second year - in the variant with a density of 111,0 thousand plants / ha. Peppermint formed the highest productivity at densities of 55,6 thousand plants /ha in both the first and second year of the growing season. A new scientific result is the obtained dependences of the yield of medicinal plants of the family Lamiaceae Juss. from the number of plants per unit area, which are described by the corresponding mathematical equations.

Sowing qualities of seeds of Echinacea Purpurea (L.) Moench

The energy of germination and laboratory germination of Echinacea purpurea seeds have been studied, as it is the sowing qualities of seeds that are the basis for successful reproduction of the species in culture. Peculiarities of germination of culture seeds depending on harvest terms are studied. It is noted that the seeds of 2017-2018 are not conditioned and are not recommended for cultivation in medicinal crops in order to obtain quality medicinal raw materials according to generally accepted standards, while the seeds of 2020 harvest have a fairly high quality and belong to the basic category. The article also presents data on the effect of disinfection with ethyl alcohol on the sowing qualities of Echinacea purpurea seeds, the tendency to increase germination energy and germination in the variant with treated seeds. Seeds, endowed with a high rate of laboratory germination, belongs to the category of original and is recommended for further propagation. Such seeds may have good field germination, although this figure will be slightly lower in any case, because the laboratory for growing seeds creates optimal conditions, which is not always possible in the field. This is usually associated with the influence of biotic and abiotic factors: temperature, humidity, light, conditions and timing of sowing, soil fertility, its infestation by pests and pathogens, and so on. In the course of studies of germination energy and laboratory germination, attention was paid to the degree of damage to the seeds of Echinacea purpurea by mold fungi. On average, when determining the energy of germination, the degree of damage by molds was weak, but when determining laboratory germination, a large degree of damage to achenes by molds was additionally manifested. When comparing the degree of fungal infestation of treated and non-disinfected seeds, we noted a low degree of infestation (for disinfected achenes) and a medium degree of infestation (for non-disinfected seeds). When determining the germination energy of disinfected echinacea seeds, the signs of purple lesions were generally invisible.

Characterization of the Cannabis sativa glandular trichome proteome

Cannabis sativa has been cultivated since antiquity as a source of fibre, food and medicine. The recent resurgence of C. sativa as a cash crop is mainly driven by the medicinal and therapeutic properties of its resin, which contains compounds that interact with the human endocannabinoid system. Compared to other medicinal crops of similar value, however, little is known about the biology of C. sativa. Glandular trichomes are small hair-like projections made up of stalk and head tissue and are responsible for the production of the resin in C. sativa. Trichome productivity, as determined by C. sativa resin yield and composition, is only beginning to be understood at the molecular level. In this study the proteomes of glandular trichome stalks and heads, were investigated and compared to the proteome of the whole flower tissue, to help further elucidate C. sativa glandular trichome biochemistry. The data suggested that the floral tissue acts as a major source of carbon and energy to the glandular trichome head sink tissue, supplying sugars which drive secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The trichome stalk seems to play only a limited role in secondary metabolism and acts as both source and sink.

Morpho-agronomic characteristics of valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) derived from in-vitro culture

Valeriana officinalis belongs to the Valerianaceae family, is a well-known herb and medicinal plant. Plant roots are commonly used as medicine by the pharmaceutical industry. Observation on morpho-agronomic characteristics of valerian propagated in vitro is needed to determine their morphological characteristics and production in the field. The study aimed to observe the morphological characteristics of valerian derived from in vitro culture. The experiment was conducted at the Indonesian Spices and Medicinal Crops Research Institute (ISMCRI) Bogor, arranged in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Each replication consisted of ten individual plants. Valerian plantlets from in vitro culture were acclimatized in the greenhouse and planted in media composed of a mixture of soil, compost, and husk. Afterward, 3 months old valerian was then transferred into a polybag. The plants were harvested at 9 and 12 months after planting (MAP). Valerian plantlets from in vitro propagation were successfully acclimatized in the greenhouse. Furthermore, the morphological characteristics of the plant were similar to the parents. The yield was significantly higher at 12 MAP than 9 MAP. The tissue culture technique was prospective for valerian propagation to support rapid plant material provision for seeds or raw material for the pharmaceutical industry.

Economic assessment of the production potential of medicinal plants in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the study of the production potential of medicinal plant growing in Ukraine. The role and significance of the production of medicinal plants in a pandemic and climate crisis are revealed, attention is focused on the economic feasibility of their production. The profitability, profitability, profitability and cost of their production are analyzed on the example of the most widespread in Ukraine cultivated medicinal plants and the expediency of its development is substantiated. It was found that the main deterrent to the development of medicinal plants is the high production costs in the first year after the start of production. The general and economic advantages, and also features of production of medicinal plants, in comparison with other crops, in particular grain, are defined; a comparison of average sales prices of cereals and legumes, vegetables, fruits and berries and medicinal crops. The economic feasibility of their processing is demonstrated on the example of value chains in the context of individual medicinal plants. Attention is paid to the most common ways of selling medicinal plants, their advantages and disadvantages are identified. Based on the performed economic assessment of the production potential of medicinal crop production in Ukraine, a set of financial and economic instruments has been identified, the introduction of which is necessary for the development of the industry.