Soil nutrient factors related to salidroside production of Rhodiola sachalinensis distributed in Chang Bai Mountain

Salidroside is the active ingredient in the roots of a Chinese medicine herb, Rhodiola sachalinensis A. Bor. Salidroside content in the Rh. sachalinensis differs greatly in different natural habitats. The effects of soil nutrient factors on the salidroside production in the root of Rh. sachalinensis were for the first time investigated in Chang Bai Mountain, PR China. The results showed that rich organic matter, low pH and high levels of exchangeable nitrogen and total nitrogen in soil were most essential to guarantee the high productivity of salidroside. The salidroside yield reached higher than 0.7% of root dry weight when the soil pH value was about 4.5, the soil organic matter content was higher than 17% or soil exchangeable nitrogen and total nitrogen contents were higher than 34 mg/100 mg and 0.6% of soil dry weight, respectively. However, soil bioavailable phosphorus content higher than 5 ppm and exchangeable potassium content higher than 180 ppm resulted in a low salidroside yield, only about 0.2% dry weight. This investigation will guide the soil management on how to select soil and how to fertilize the soil for the cultivation of Rh. sachalinensis to improve the salidroside productivity. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.