Giving home-grown ginseng a shot (in the dark!)
It has been used in traditional Bhutanese medicine and in many Asian cultures as a nourishing stimulant to increase mental and physical efficiency, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels and also to address sexual dysfunction in men.
Tried and tested, products of ginseng, a slow-growing perennial plant, are today sold the world over in “health stores” for their unique properties substantially benefit growers.
In Bhutan, wild ginseng (panax pseudo) of the Hara (himalaicus) species grows sparsely in very specific locations at elevations ranging from 2300~3000 m above sea level. But the wild plant has become highly endangered because of growing illegal collection, according to researchers with the Renewable Natural Resource Research Centre in Jakar, Bumthang. “A small area in Dochola, once filled with the plant, has none left today because of indiscriminate collections and destruction of its natural habitat,” said the Jakar’s principal researcher, Dorji Wangchuk.
He said that ginseng plants in the forest were scattered and thinly populated, with ages between one and four years. “The oldest plant found was of six years, indicating its life span in Bhutan’s forests,” said Dorji Wangchuk.
The researcher said that it had become imperative to try and domesticate the species and introduce commercial varieties for export to protect the plant in the forest and also provide a lucrative option to farmers.
As a personal initiative, Dorji Wangchuk has already begun trials to cultivate the plant in his garden at Kuje. The trials started in November 2004 with nodular rhizomes collected from Pelela, which were planted in a mixed humus and sandy soil under artificial shade. The plant in the mixed humus showed healthy growth.
