Siberian plant could be Alaska’s next cash crop

There is a new crop being introduced in Alaska that may become a significant new source of income for small and large growers alike. That new crop is the medicinal plant Rhodiola rosea and it hails from the Altai Mountains in Siberia. It currently represents an $80 million and growing international market.

Rhodiola demand is extremely high and most of the world’s supply is wild harvested in Russia. Although the plant’s medicinal properties have been known for thousands of years, it was the Soviet military after World War II that caused new interest in the plant. They were looking for a botanical product that would boost the effectiveness and stamina of their troops. Rhodiola is currently used by Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station.

The four major active chemicals in Rhodiola are known as “adaptogens.” The known beneficial effects include increased physical endurance, anti-fatigue, anti-oxidant, anti-depressant, reduction of metabolical stress and as a high altitude sickness remedy. At this time there is no known toxicity. Its less potent sister species (Rhodiola integrifolia) grows in Hatcher Pass and has been used by Alaska Natives for centuries.

In the wild, the plant takes up to 25 years to mature. However, research on small farms in Scandinavia and additional research in Canada, Poland, Bulgaria and Alaska has shown this maturation time can be reduced to four or five years using conventional farming techniques.

Leading Alaska’s efforts to establish Rhodiola as Alaska’s next cash crop is Anchorage physician Dr. Petra Illig. She founded the not-for-profit Alaska Rhodiola Products farmers cooperative. Members of the cooperative sell their Rhodiola back to the organization.

Individuals can learn more about Rhodiola by attending the Alaska Produce Growers Conference in Palmer on Feb. 16-17 at the Palmer Depot. A featured guest speaker at the conference will be Dr. Kwesi Ampong-Nyarko. He is a Specialty Crop Research Scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and leads Canada’s research efforts in Rhodiola farming.

For more information about the conference, contact Steve Brown at 745-3639.

For more information about the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, contact 745-3360 or online, visit uaf.edu/ces.

Stephen Brown is an extension agent with the Mat-Su/Copper River District of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service.