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Organic vs. Conventional Growing for Rhodiola

Organic vs. Conventional Growing for Rhodiola

What’s the difference between organic and conventional growing methods for Rhodiola rosea?

In short – pesticides and fertilizers.  All inputs for organic farming must be from approved organic sources.  From mulches to potting soil – it all has to be organic. 

I have been working in a lovely organic field this spring, and the size of the Rhodiola is amazing.  The rows of blooming Rhodiola are speckled with blooming dandelions and a variety of weeds, not to mention a few trees.  The field looks healthy and is a vibrant community of diversity.

Weeds like organic farming, too, and that can be challenging, especially for a five-year crop like Rhodiola.  Methods for weeding include cultivation, flaming, mulching and dropping down on your hands and knees with a trusty digger.  I personally thought alpacas would work.  They seemed to prefer dandelions over Rhodiola, but now they nibble the Rhodiola stems and leaves and some of the crown, too!  We keep looking for better ways to control weeds.  Maybe robotic weeders will someday save my back!

For conventional Rhodiola rosea, the inputs are limited, too.  There are no herbicides currently registered for Rhodiola rosea.  That means the conventional farmers are limited to spraying in the paths between the rows.  Over the next few months, though, these limitations will change.  With the introduction of approved herbicides, it is hoped that the conventional Rhodiola rosea will produce higher yields in shorter time.  One other key component is in processing.  Processing rates are higher when there are fewer weeds to remove.

Other than removal of herbicides from our diet, are there other advantages for organic Rhodiola rosea?  Possibly.  ARRGO has noted over the last two years that the beneficial compounds in organic Rhodiola are relatively higher or more concentrated than those in conventional Rhodiola.  Why?  Possibly since the organic Rhodiola has to compete with invasive weeds, its defense mechanism may be to increase its levels of rosavins and salidroside.  Our customers who buy organic like to see weeds in our fields for this reason!  Whew!  That means we don’t have to be so embarrassed by our plant menageries, until the county weed inspector gives us a call!

 
Organic Rhodiola rosea growing in rows – Alberta, Canada
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Spring Harvest is underway!

Spring Harvest is underway!

The harvest has started and the farmers are delivering their Rhodiola rosea to the ARRGO Processing Facility in Thorsby, Alberta.  Six years or more of hard work culminates in many trips to Thorsby with the flatbed trailer.  Thanks, Brett and Micha.  Your roots look amazing! 

Each net bag holds 600-800 lbs of roots, tops and dirt.  Most of the plants are dug with a potato digger and then manually picked up one at a time and cleaned before placing in the bag.  Depending on the size of the plant, there will be 300-500 plants in a bag.  Brett and Micha are hoping to bring in 60,000 plants this spring.  That’s 120 bags or more of bending, picking and cleaning!

A closer look at the plants shows lots of spring growth.  The plants have bolted and are blooming.  To make processing easier, the farmers are asked to mow their fields before the plants are dug.  Rhodiola makes a crown or dome above ground, so a real close shave with the mower deck is not recommended.  The rest of the shoots will have to be removed by the processing crew.

Brett and Micha’s roots were tested before harvest, and their results were excellent.  Rosavins and salidroside are all in the highest range.  There are markets waiting for their harvest.  A spring harvest to be proud of.  Thanks to all the ARRGO growers for the all the work! 

Rhodiola rosea - spring harvest fresh from the field

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In Full Bloom

In Full Bloom

Late May and the adult plants in the nursery are loaded with yellow flowers.  The seedlings are all moved out to the field, but these plants remain in the nursery to make next year’s seed.   The sounds and sights of buzzing insects are evidence of a good seed harvest in the making.

Rhodiola rosea plants are dioecious, either male or female.  As the flowers appear, the differences in plant gender are noticeable.  Just my observation, but the males are bright yellow before the females show their color display.  At this time of year and in the pictures the male plants have the most color. 

Close up photos show the differences in flower structure.  The males have a star shaped burst of stamens and are in their fully glory.  The females have swollen pods and are just starting to open.  The female flowers are smaller, and tighter and the pod or ovary at the flower base is prominent.

The male plants in the picture are shorter and smaller, but that is not always the case.  Published literature suggests that the male plants can be larger and may have slightly increased levels of beneficial compounds.  I think I will look for new breeder males for next year’s crop of seeds!

Rhodiola rosea requires insects for pollination.  The bees are always around, and so are smaller flying insects.  They hop around quickly and were camera shy today. There are many other flowers blooming, such as cherry, apple and dandelions, and the native plant called Buffalo bean.  It’s good that some insects prefer some adaptogenic pollen and nectar during this time of plenty.

The male flowers will fade as their work will soon be done.  The female flower heads will develop over the next two months and seed harvest occurs in early August after the stems have turned brown.

May is almost wrapped up, and the next two months are all about weeding.  Yay!!! (not!!!!)

Male Rhodiola rosea Flowers
Female Rhodiola rosea Flowers
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Roles in Sustainability

Rhodiola rosea blooming - May

Sustainability is key to success for our customers, for our growers and for the world’s supply of Rhodiola rosea.  Every part of the equation must have success – a win-win for all players.  How do we get there?  Let’s look at each key player and their role in the steps to sustainability.

  1. The end-use customer. When the customer is standing in front of the rows of options at their local health food store, are they willing to support sustainability?  As a consumer, here’s a good way to think about it – can we spend the same amount of money and get a bit less product, but one that is sustainable?  When we do that, we as customers are ensuring a quality supply for generations to come. 
  2. The manufacturer of finished products. ARRGO supplies our Canadian-grown raw material to manufacturers around the world who are concerned about their supply of Rhodiola rosea.  Cost is always a factor.  How can the manufacturer balance cost with the ideals they stand for? -quality, purity, fair trade, sustainability, equality, diversity and so much more.  It’s a tough boardroom and tough decisions have to be made.
  3. The middleman. ARRGO stands in the middle to support the growers and the manufacturers.  ARRGO listens and responds with a commitment to provide the best quality Rhodiola rosea to the manufacturer in terms of purity and highest standards.  ARRGO is also fully committed to the growers by ensuring a fair price and by supporting the farmers in their efforts to grow Rhodiola sustainably.
  4. The grower. The farmer knows their costs to produce.  ARRGO helps to find ways to make their work more efficient.  It’s the grower’s decision in the end and the supply chain ‘buck’ stops here.  Without the grower there is no supply chain, at least for cultivated Rhodiola.  Without the grower, then reliance for the global supply of Rhodiola rosea falls on Number 5.
  5. The supply of wild rhodiola rosea. How much Rhodiola rosea is left in the wild?  In the comprehensive study by Josef Brinckmann et al., it is calculated that in the Altai region of the Soviet Union 76% of the wild supply was removed between 1974 and 1986.  Brinckmann cites other examples of devastation, as well.  What are we losing in diversity and benefits to humans and animals?  How can this wild resource be preserved and still provide its amazing benefits for the rest of forever?  Is there a way to make this a sustainable option?

For cultivated Rhodiola rosea, the crop requires at least 5 years in appropriate climate and soil to grow and mature.  In the wild, Rhodiola rosea on average is 20-30 years old when dug.  All harvest practices are destructive, and regenerative efforts are necessary. 

What’s the final solution to sustainability for Rhodiola rosea?  Change is inevitable, but this is where we are now.

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Planting Rhodiola – how is it done?

How do you . . .

Plant Rhodiola rosea? 

The seedlings are ready.  They’ve grown in their cells for a year or more.  Their roots are well established, crowns are developing, and they are filling up all the room they have in the nursery.

Is it time to plant them out into the field?  While the seedlings grow, the farmer must prepare the land to receive the seedlings.  In Alberta (Canada), the weed pressure is high to extreme, and Rhodiola rosea will not compete well with weeds.  Yield loss due to weeds can be as high as 95%.  That means lots of tilling and/or herbicides.  The crop bed must be weed-free to give the Rhodiola seedlings a head start.

Now are we ready to plant?  Maybe.  Check the weather.  Is there a rain in the forecast?  Yes!  Let’s go!

Time to lay the plastic and make raised beds.  Then pop the seedlings out of their trays in the nursery and hook up the transplanter.  Now fill up the water tanks and start planting.  The transplanter pokes a hole in the plastic and fills the hole with water.  Stop and go as all holes receive a healthy plant.  The end result – rows of Rhodiola and many promises to keep the field well tended and the weeds at bay. 

There are many ways to plant from highly specialized GPS-driven automatic planters to shovels and forks.  Either time and lots of money, or vice versa.  Each farmers’ story is different and each farmer makes many decisions for his Rhodiola.  And that’s just the start.  Next step – weed and weed some more – for five years.