PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF WILD AND CULTIVATED GOLDEN-ROD (SOLIDAGO VIRGAUREA L.) POPULATIONS IN FINLAND

A series of cultivation experiments were carried out during 1989–1992 in Mikkeli (61°44′ N, 27°18′ E) to elaborate the production technique of golden-rod (Solidago virgaurea L.). At the same time, a large number of observations were made within wild populations in various parts of Finland comparing the production potential of wild and cultivated populations.
The comparison of 72 wild and cultivated populations (144o and 4oo m² area, respectively) showed that the productivity of cultivated plantations was much higher than that of the greatly variable wild ones.

The collectable fresh flower yield of wild plants in the nature ranged between 6–113 g/m² (mean 35 g/m²), while in the cultivated plots the yield ranged from 83o to 335o g/m² (mean 1482 g/m²) due to the more vigorous growth and much higher plant density.
The most effective growing system seemed to be the transplantation of seedlings into potato ridge, 6–8 plants per row meter.
Due to the great variation of the wild populations, further studies and selection of seed biology, flowering time, yield and quality are needed.

International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

B. Galambosi, Y. Honkala, K. Jokela

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.344.29