Hydroponic production of the medicinal plants Arnica (Arnica montana L) and Toronjil (Agastache mexicana) under greenhouse conditions

Abstract

For the treatment of chronic-degenerative diseases, the use of medicinal plants is an attractive alternative compared to traditional pharmaceutical drugs, the supply of this type of plants occurs in most cases by collection in the wild. Hence, the information available on hydroponic production for these plant inputs is scarce and little is known about their development under optimal and ideal conditions, different from their wild condition. The objective of the research was to evaluate the growth of Arnica (Arnica montana L) and Toronjil (Agastache mexicana) produced hydroponically under greenhouse conditions, for which two crops were managed, one with treatment and the other without it as a control, the first with hydroponics (inorganic substrate with nutrient solution) and the second, with organic substrate without adding nutrients. The experimental design was completely randomized with five repetition cycles per treatment. It was statistically proven that hydroponic production positively affected plant growth. In both cases, Arnica and Lemon Balm increased their growth and mass compared to the control by 36.5% and 38.4% respectively, the variables of dry and fresh weight followed a similar trend, being favored by the hydroponic culture with respect to the control; On the other hand, the yield of dry extract from a 20.0% tincture for both species were very similar in percentage terms, being slightly higher for plants produced hydroponically.