ISHS Acta Horticulturae 749: I International Symposium on Chamomile Research, Development and Production
CHAMOMILE CULTIVARS AND THEIR CULTIVATION IN POLAND |
| Author: | K. Seidler-Lozykowska |
| Keywords: | active substance, breeding, quality, raw material |
| Abstract:
Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rausch.) is one of the most important medicinal plants cultivated in Poland at 650-750 ha. Before the introduction of chamomile into cultivation, raw material was collected from the wild and production was estimated at about 50 tons per annum. In 1972, the new Polish cultivar ‘Złoty Łan’ was widely introduced into cultivation, which helped to supply large amounts of uniformed raw material of high quality for pharmaceutical purposes. Prof. Waclaw Strażewicz was the pioneer of medicinal plant breeding in Poland, and made the first selections in chamomile. Breeding research continued in the Research Institute of Medicinal Plants in Poznan, which was established in 1947. In 1970, the tetraploid cultivar ‘Złoty Łan’ and in 1992 the diploid cultivar ‘Promyk’ were registered. Then, in 2006 two new cultivars with high content of /-/-α-bisabolol, ‘Mastar’ (2n) and ‘Dukat’ (4n), entered into the List of Plant’s Breeders Rights Protection. The maintenance breeding, which is done in the above mentioned Institute, prevents these cultivars from losing their value. Dr. W. Czabajska, K. Seidler-Łozykowska and K. Kazmierczak are the authors of these cultivars. The main goals of the breeding programs are: 1. enhancement of the content of active substances, 2. enhancement of flower head yield, 3. improvement of morphological traits, 4. improvement of the resistance to abiotic stress (drought, flood). In Poland chamomile is still one of the more important medicinal plants, but its use has changed from traditional folk medicine to modern pharmaceutical usage. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
