FEASIBILITY OF CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT PRODUCTION OF SCUTELLARIA SPECIES

Controlled environment (CE) experiments were initiated at Kennedy Space Center, FL to determine the feasibility of using CE for the production of S. barbata and S. lateriflora in order to increase productivity and reduce variability in production. Scutellaria are a genus of herbaceous perennials of the Lamiaceae family of dicots that include several species with purported medicinal properties.
A number of preliminary experiments were conducted in specialized plant growth chambers to determine conditions for seed germination, temperature for early growth and development, and CO₂ conditions for optimal growth.
Plant nutrition and water was regulated using soilless production with rockwool as the rooting media.
Light inhibited seed germination at temperatures less than 26°C, and pre-soaking for seeds for 96 h at 4°C greatly enhances germination rate at all temperatures in both the light and dark.
The optimum temperature for seedling establishment was 26°C for S. lateriflora and 30°C for S. barbata. Increasing CO₂ concentration from 400 to 1200 µmol mol^-1 increased total biomass of S. barbata by 65% and S. lateriflora by 89%. Further increases to 3000µmol mol^-1 had no additional effect on growth S. barbata, but increased biomass another 20% in S. lateriflora. Increasing CO₂ also decreased time to flowering in CE chambers by 7 to 10 days.
These preliminary experiments suggest that significant improvements in Scutellaria growth and productivity can by achieved using CE production.

International Symposium on Medicinal and Nutraceutical Plants

G.W. Stutte , I. Eraso, K.B. Downing

scullcap, CO₂ enrichment, photosynthesis, S. barbata, S. lateriflora

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.756.22