A NEW CULTIVATION SYSTEM FOR CLEAN CONSISTENT ROOT CROPS

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In order to accurately assess the efficacy of botanical products, consistent materials are needed for clinical studies, as well as a guarantee of sustainable access to commercial volumes of those materials should the products prove useful. This proposal addresses exactly that by developing a sustainable horticultural production method that can provide clean, unadulterated, and consistent raw materials for the herbal dietary supplement and phytopharmaceutical industries. The technology investigated is an innovative type of hydroponics called aeroponics, with engineering modifications and crop management practices specifically designed to maximize the biomass production and phytochemistry of crops, with an emphasis on root crops. The SBIR Phase I research demonstrated the feasibility of using aeroponics for biomass and phytochemical yields of burdock, the Phase II research will explore the universality and appropriateness of the aeroponic technology for various medicinal root crops, developing improved prototype aeroponic systems and testing those systems with different model crops: stinging nettles (Urtica dioica), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), yerba mansa (Anemopsis califomica), and black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). Various experiments will be conducted in the aeroponic systems, examining the flexibility and control the grower has over the crop environment and measuring the effects of those parameters on biomass and phytochemical yields.