Western Phytoceutica Inc
Challenge/Opportunity:
Some of the challenges associated with growing ginseng are: an 18-month cold seed pre-treatment, three to four year cultivation, plant is susceptible to pests, diseases, severe weather conditions, rely heavily on pesticides and chemical agents for intense commercial cultivation, and intense international competition .
There is also an issue of re-cropping where ginseng cannot be replanted on the same site within 30 years of harvest. This has put a lot of pressure on the horticulture business and has escalated land prices. There is also some known farm-to-farm and year-to-year variability in quality. There has been no systematic breeding improvement program in the past few decades of commercial production in North America.
These challenges combined with the increased demand and escalation in prices, makes an alternative cultivation system for growing ginseng highly desirable.
Solution/Collaboration:
This project is expected to obtain three main outcomes:
- Grow ginseng for sale in the dried and fresh market in Canada as well as for export
- Solve the issues of ginseng growth and optimize the growing conditions for ginseng production
- Examine the bio-actives that are contained in the leaf material of the ginseng plant
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