Yield and Effects of Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer on Field-Grown Chinese Medicinal Plants in the United States

Abstract

There is an increased demand for Chinese medicinal plants in the U.S., with little known about the feasibility of production of these species outside of China. The purpose of this study was to develop basic agronomic data for selected Chinese medicinal plant species. Agastache rugosa, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Leonurus japonicus, and Leonurus sibiricus were grown in a randomized complete block design with 0, 100, or 200 kg.ha⁻¹ of nitrogen (N). At 100 kg.ha⁻¹ of N, a significant increase in yield of all species was observed as compared to the 0 kg.ha⁻¹ control. Average dry yield per plant at 100 kg.ha⁻¹ of N was 44.7 g for A. rugosa herb, 52.6 g for S. tenuifolia inflorescences, 42.7 g for L. japonicus basal rosette, and 46.9 g for L. sibiricus basal rosette. Yields of A. rugosa and both Leonurus species increased significantly again at 200 kg.ha⁻¹ of N as compared to 100 kg.ha⁻¹, while the increase in yield between these two levels was slight for S. tenuifolia. Results from these trials indicate that all four of the selected species are suitable for cultivation in the northeastern U.S.

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese herbal drugs
• organic agriculture
• Agastache
• Leonurus
• Schizonepeta

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

For their efforts in coordinating use of field space, preparing research plots for planting, and maintaining organic certification of a portion of the University of Massachusetts Agronomy Research Farm, the authors thank farm staff Kyle Bostrom and Neal Woodard and UMass Extension staff Ruth Hazzard and Amanda Brown. For their kind and dedicated assistance in planting, maintaining study plots, and harvesting study material, the authors thank Maiko Inoue, Deborah Beckett, Samantha Parsons, Ryan Rogan, and Annie Winkler.