By Guizhou Miaoyao Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
I. History of valerian in China
Since 1980s, the former Jiangkou Perfumery in Jiangkou County, Guizhou Province, China had been processing wild valerian into valerian oil to export it to the European and American countries. Despite the limited application fields, the good quality thereof was recognized by perfume experts, therefore, China has become a major producer of global valerian oil since the reform and opening up. However, until 2010, applications of valerian oil were mainly limited to the flavor and fragrance industry, and while valerian oil’s unique fragrance of Valerianaceae plants and characteristics can vivify the premium fragrance products, the amount used was quite limited, therefore, the global amount purchased from China every year was only about 2t; and the price fluctuated like roller coaster for a cycle of 3-5 years because the market of a small variety was easy to manipulate, which greatly hurt confidence of peasants. Valerian’s plant characteristics also make the development extremely difficult.
II. The industry development is quite difficult for valerian as its plantation is different from that of other traditional Chinese medicinal materials
1. Harsh growing environment
As a temperate plant, valerian is resistant to severe cold and cannot stand intense heat: it grows in winter no matter how thick the snow is, but its root will rot when the temperature is higher than 37℃ in summer. In its growing period, abundant rainfall is needed, while in its mature period, the less rain, the better, therefore, it can only be planted in the high-mountain special climatic zone with altitude of 800-1,400m.
2. Difficulties in harvesting good seeds
Valerian seeds are light, and quite easily fall with the wind; and the seed collecting period falls in the rainy season, therefore, it is quite difficult to harvest good seeds
3. Big breeding time span, with high difficulties
The seeding time of valerian shall be before July, and the seedbed management lasts for the entire summer. If the temperature and humidity are not well controlled in the greenhouse, it will largely affect the seed germination rate, thereby affecting the seedling production.
4. Large demand for seedlings per mu due to characteristics of herb, affecting the industrial development
During valerian plantation, the demand for seedlings per mu is between 4,000 and 4,500, and each mu of seedlings provides the quantity for maximum 10mu plantation. The large demand for seedlings greatly affects the industrial development of valerian.
III. Considerable market prospects of valerian
The traditional Chinese medical culture has gradually won support among the people as China develops in recent years, and there have been unprecedented criticisms on Western medicine, while research of TCMs and herbal medicines is conducted worldwide. Efficacy of valerian in human body has gradually been tapped and utilized, from sedation, soothing nerve and aiding sleep, relieving smooth muscle spasm, to increasing blood flow of heart, and reducing myocardial oxygen consumption, etc. Therefore, the valerian, especially the valerian oil, has received unprecedented attention, with the market demand growing from 2t to 20-30t per year just in a few years, with unprecedented tension between demand and supply, and spike in valerian oil price.
We have succeeded in domestication of wild valerian over the decade with heavy investment of funds, manpower and material resources, and have successfully mastered the key technology for sexual reproduction, with new breakthroughs in valerian seedling breeding, base construction, and product R&D, etc., and having won many national invention patents and technologies in China. We have currently the largest valerian industry development base and product R&D base in China, with the valerian base area expected to reach above 5,000mu in 2018, to achieve production of 15-20t valerian oil.
V. Introduction of valerian oilRead More
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