%0 Research Notes
%T Growth, yield and secondary metabolite production of Drosera species cultivated in peat beds in Finland
%A Galambosi, Bertalan
%A Galambosi, Zsuzsanna
%A Repcák, Miroslav
%D 2000
%J Suo - Mires and peat
%V 51
%N 2
%U http://suo.fi/article/9789
%X Cultivation experiments on D. rotundifolia and D. anglica were carried out in peat beds in Mikkeli, South Finland (61°44’ N, 27°18’ E) in 1992-1997. Plants were propagated by direct sowing and transplanting of small seedlings in peat beds (size 3 m2, depth 0.7 m) filled with non-fertilized peat (pH 4.0). Seed germination, growth, flowering cycle as well as fresh herb and seed yields were measured. To increase the growth, plants were regularly fed milk powder. The 7-methyljuglone, quercetin and kaempferol contents of the flowers, leaves and stems were determined from sown and transplanted, fed and non-fed Drosera plants. Both Drosera species were successfully cultivated in peat beds. Direct sowing in autumn followed by natural winter stratification seemed to be the best propagation method. Flowering started after the second and third growing years. Feeding the plants milk powder increased growth by 27-113%. The fresh yield during the third, fourth and fifth years ranged between 0.05 and 0.9 kg m-2, being highest in the first and second harvest years. Plant density decides the yield of small-sized species. The average yield was about 50 times higher in peat beds than in the nature. Feeding milk powder did not affect the secondary metabolite contents. The 7-methyljuglone content was 13-81% higher in the fed Drosera rotundifolia plants than in the non-fed ones. The quercetin and kaempferol contents were lower in the fed plant, 10-30% and 1-10% lower in D. rotundifolia and 30-60% and 1-15% lower in D. anglica, respectively. According to the results, it seems to be possible to grow Drosera rotundifolia and D. anglica under controlled conditions outside the natural ecosystem. The results also suggest that higher yields can be expected by cultivation of these species.