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Background and Objectives:
The major impediment to the expansion of this industry is the current lack of knowledge
of agronomics of the medicinal plant species and a systematic procedure for investigation
of growing conditions detailing effects on active ingredient content. These crops are
ideally suited to the limited acreage, highly managed special crop industry in Manitoba.
The value-added potential of these crops is substantive with per acre returns ranging from
$5,000 - $25,000+. Determination of the production needs and pest management strategies
are critical for industry expansion. Markets are quite varied in size and complexity, and
proper market information is essential to penetrate and compete in this marketplace. The
future of the industry is strong as the current social and cultural trends toward natural
healing, healthy diets, and alternative sources of nutraceutical products are increasing
steadily.
The current lack of agronomic information (insects, weeds, diseases, fertility,
planting and harvesting dates, variety evaluation, drying, processing, etc.) available for
these crops is limited and projects like this are attempting to remedy the situation while
providing Manitoba producers with site specific information that can be readily
transferred to their individual growing situations. Market identification and development
activities are underway with a wide variety of government and private agencies. Funding
opportunities and support from industry is considerably lacking, making this project even
more important to the medicinal plant grower who cannot obtain this information alone.
Some crops with medicinal potential are noxious weeds (i.e. St. John's Wort and
Burdock) and an agreement needs to be implemented with the Weeds Supervisors’
Association and the growers before these crops can be planted in a municipality. Other
limitations to the successful expansion of this industry are the lack of quality control
standards, a quality seed source, a system of species verification, and a lack of a strong
processing industry. All these limitations can be reduced or eliminated by assisting at
this early stage to undertake the fundamental steps involved in basic agronomic research,
market development, process testing and evaluation, and industry promotion and expansion.
The evaluation of the potential of these medicinal and aromatic plants as a commercial
crop enterprise in Manitoba will be made through assessments of agronomic trials,
specifically with Feverfew, Valerian, Milk Thistle, Senega Root and St. John’s Wort.
We are attempting to develop some insight into the potential of medicinal herbs as a new
value-added crop in Manitoba. Investigations are required into the potential of new,
value-added crops in Manitoba, natural, semi-processed and processed crops, and export to
new markets domestically and in the Pacific Rim. Production on a commercial scale, as well
as species adaptation to Manitoba conditions, will increase the farm gate value of these
commodities. The value-added possibility with each of these crops is substantial. Primary
processing (drying) of these nutraceuticals is already underway at the farm level. This
processing industry is farm based and, therefore, the potential for small-scale, rural
based, economic development and diversification is significant. The encapsulating industry
is as yet under exploited with potential value-added from processing of dried plant
materials. Fresh herbage is also harvested, which also represents a significant farm based
industry potential. This provides employment on-farm and value-added to an otherwise
unused resource. Spin-off job creation, on-farm, in the processing industry and sales and
service agencies is potentially substantial.
Goals in moving this industry forward include, but are not limited to, assisting
producers by promoting and facilitating research and development strategies for the
industry, marketing and market research programs, establishing a wild species
seed/germplasm library, and developing and testing new processing and processed products,
assisting producers and industry brokers to source funding support to develop
speciality/ethnic/spice and medicinal crop enterprises in Manitoba, and compete in the
global market.
This project will test and develop agronomic information relevant to Manitoba
conditions. Although Manitoba is considered as one of the most desirable areas to
cultivate medicinal herbs in North America because of the climate, clean environment and
wealth of experience in agriculture, commercial production is still minimal. This could be
explained partially by the uncertainties over the selection of medicinal herbs to
cultivate, and also over competitiveness on the international market. Development of
information pertinent to production, quality, processing, and marketing of herbs of
economic importance to Manitoba and transferring that information to the herb industry is
the major thrust of this project. This activity is aimed at assisting establishment and
growth of the entire herb industry in the province.
Procedure and Project Activities:
- To facilitate adaptation trials of species of Feverfew, Valerian, Milk Thistle and
Echinacea through agronomic trials to develop production technology, sustainability of
indigenous species population management and demonstration trials.
- To promote industry establishment and enhancement, identify end-product market
potential both domestically and internationally, and demonstrate industry expansion
potential.
- This comprehensive industry development project will promote and facilitate the
expansion of the medicinal production/processing/marketing industry in Manitoba, and will
facilitate the implementation of innovative, sustainable production and processing
development and marketing research of alternative crops.
The main components of this project are outlined below.
Trial plots were established in two main sites in Manitoba. The sites were located at
the U of M field research station, Carman and Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation,
Roblin. Satellite demonstration and educational sites were established at existing special
crop demonstration sites throughout Manitoba.
Results and Discussion:
Establishment
Each plot site was tilled prior to transplanting. The Carman site was hand transplanted
with Feverfew, Valerian and Milk Thistle on June 16, 1998 and the Roblin site was hand
transplanted on July 2, 1998. The row spacing was such to allow tillage operations to
proceed unimpeded and, in the case of the Echinacea, staggered rows were used to space
plants 60 cm in row and 30 cm between staggered rows and 1.2 meters between rows. The rest
of the plots were planted with 60 cm in-row spacings and 1.2 meters between rows.
Diseases
Alberta Agriculture and Food published a fact sheet on the yellowing diseases of
Echinacea, Monarda and Caraway. This fact sheet, which can be accessed at the following
web site address, is an excellent source of information and describes the disease as well
as offers some control measures.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex616?opendocument
Valerian plantings are also exhibiting yellowing with symptoms of root rot. The cause
of this root condition has yet to be identified; however, the plants are exhibiting signs
of foliage discoloration, wilting and stem collapse. Prolonged periods of wet conditions
increase the disease incidence and severity. Due to the wet springs, all valerian
plantings were infected and removed from the trial. New plantings were established in 2000
with the hope of identifying the disease pathogen and determining control measures.
Insects
In general, over the life of the research trials, insect numbers were low. Low levels of
aphids, stinkbugs and leafhoppers were found in collections, however, no control measures
were warranted. Due to the relative low numbers of insects detected in the trial sites and
through other observations, no further investigations have been undertaken at this time.
Weeds
Weed control is essential as this is where insect vectors, such as the leafhoppers,
initially pick up aster yellows and transfer it to plants. Control of leafhoppers can be
achieved by the applications of insecticides; however, the medicinal plants were grown
organically at the trial so options were limited on control methods. The past two seasons
of the prolonged wet conditions did favour an increase in weed population increasing the
potential of cross-contamination. Roguing and mechanical cultivation are the only methods
currently used in controlling weeds at the trial sites.
The Milk Thistle plots did extremely well as expected. The percentage of heads that
ripened in conjunction with one another was increased over last year due mainly to the
seedling density. It appears from three years of empirical data and observations that the
Milk Thistle produces more consistently ripened heads when planted densely (plant spacing
of 10 cm or less) as opposed to being planted at spacings exceeding 15 cm. This plot was
not randomized, however, there appears to be strong evidence that the increased density of
planting reduced "daughter" heads from being produced, which were not mature at
the same time as the primary seed head.
This is a continuing project with a necessity for multi-year results.
Quality evaluation of locally grown herbs of commercial importance through chemical
fingerprinting and development of assays that could be used for standardization of
botanical extracts and provide a basis for Manitoba produced crops is underway with
results expected in 2002. Work has been initiated in other provinces on identifying and
quantifying marker compounds in both intact plant parts and in commercial preparations
(capsules, tinctures, etc.) of Echinacea angustifolia based on native Manitoba
specimens.
This preliminary work into this fledgling industry is essential to the development of a
diversification option for Manitoba producers and, as such, the importance of this project
cannot be underestimated. The individual producer is unable to carry out this type of work
due to the economic limitations they face and the lack of individual expertise. Therefore,
it is essential that this work be carried out at an association level with support from
forward-looking funding agencies such as ARDI.
Acknowledgements:
The proponents would like to express their appreciation to the University of
Manitoba, Carman Research Station, for the use of their land and facilities and the
University of Brandon, Department of Botany, specifically Dr. Robin Marles and Dr. Faiz
Ahmad for their expertise, facilities, and considerable time above and beyond
expectations. The proponents would also like to acknowledge the cooperation and generosity
of the University of Saskatchewan, Herb Research Centre, for the use of their testing
facilities and superior knowledge base in this fledgling area. Also, we would like to
acknowledge the assistance and support of the growers of Manitoba along with the Medicinal
& Aromatic Plant Association of Manitoba (MAPAM) for their donation of plant
specimens, use of land, and their generous donation of time and extensive practical
knowledge. The proponents would also like to express their appreciation to the
Canada-Manitoba Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI) for providing funding
to carry out these projects vitally important to the Manitoba producer.
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