Effect of climate on plant growth and

level of adaptogenic compounds

Project meeting BARENTSHERBS, Rovaniemi, March 2008

Inger Martinussen, Gunnlaug Røthe, Kirsten Jacobsen &
Hermod Nilsen
• How does climate effect the quality
of the herbs?
• Quantity and pattern of adaptogenic
compounds
 Test field Serratula coronata, Tromsø,
established 2006
• Stratification March-April 2006
• Start germination 18. April
• Planting July 2006
• Harvesting July and September 2007
Ecdysteriods in Serratula from
2006 test field

Ecdysteroid (%) JULY SEPTEMBER

20-hydroxyecdysone 0.42 0.28
25S-inokosterone 0.15
ecdysone 0.06

•Plants 1 year old

•NB! Only 1 sample pr. harvest
 6m

Serratula Leuzea Rhodiola

 
I
 
I
 
I
Test field Serratula,
Leuzea and Rhodiola,
     
     
     
Border 1 m ?
Leuzea Rhodiola Serratula
Tromsø, established
II
 
II
 
II
  2007
     
     
      12 m
Border 1 m ?
Rhodiola Serratula Leuzea Fertilization
III III III
      40 kg ”Marihøne” organic
      fertilizer
     
      Kg/daa
     
Tot.-N 3,4-3,8
• Size of the field 12 m X 3 m = 36 m2
P 0,6
• 30 cm between plants
K 0,9
• 40 cm between rows
Ca 1,5
• 50 plants pr. square
Mg 0,2
• Planted August 2007
Controlled experiment in phytotrone

• 9 C
• 15 C
• 21 day/9 night
• 21 12 hours light
• 21 24 hours light
• Rhodiola: clonal
plants from Finland
and Norway
• Leuzea: clonal plants
and seed-population,
Finland
• Serratula: seed-
population
Effect of temperature and day length on
growth on Leuzea charthamoides
Effect of temperature and day length on
growth on Serratula coronata
Effect of temperature and day length on
growth on Rhodiola rosea
Adaptogenic compounds in Rhodiola rosea
Conclusions on growth

• 12 hours days decrease growth to a large extent –

all 3 species – most dramatic for Serratula
• Serratula is the only herb with best growth at 21C
and the one with very slow growth at 9C
• Rhodiola grow best at low temperatures and
tendence to prefer differentiated day/night
temperatures
• To early to say anything about the effects on
adaptogens
• Could be clonal differences – not time to analyse
results in detail
• Young plant material
Kiitos, Takk, Spasiba, Thank you!