Climate change is also affecting the global food supply. In various regions of the world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to cultivate medicinal herbs. Due to the changing climate, there is either too much or too little water, and as a result, disease pressure has increased. Additionally, the levels of active ingredients in these plants no longer meet the required standards. This is why Wageningen University & Research, BU Glastuinbouw is exploring the possibilities of cultivating certain medicinal herbs in a protected environment. Researcher Filip van Noort: "Growing herbs in a greenhouse means you have to get to know the crop all over again."
WUR recently began research into several medicinal root and leaf herbs. "The most challenging part of the research is translating the cultivation of an outdoor crop to a controlled environment, such as a greenhouse or indoor farm. First, we need to find the right balance between light and temperature. What does the crop need to grow well in a controlled environment?" The cultivation itself is the first challenge. After that, other important tasks include determining the levels of active ingredients and the efficiency of cultivation in a controlled environment. "Growing in a greenhouse, for example, is naturally more expensive than in an open field. Therefore, we need to look for higher productivity and/or efficiency, possibly through year-round cultivation and, of course, disease-free growth. The levels of active ingredients are also crucial. Due to climate change, these levels are decreasing in open-field crops, along with the overall quality of the plants."
Research on 'American Ginseng'
According to Van Noort, this is a global problem. In various parts of the world, it is becoming increasingly difficult for producers to grow enough medicinal herbs with sufficient levels of active ingredients. Diseases and water shortages are causing problems for growers worldwide. Since these are food crops, the use of pesticides is not always an option. As a result, more and more producers are turning to WUR for help. At the request of an international wellness company, WUR is investigating ways to accelerate and improve production by shifting cultivation to a greenhouse in response to the problems.
