Developing the wintergreen barberry by aeroponic technology

Vietnam has about 3,920 species of medicinal plants, accounting for 16% of the identified ones all over the world. However, a number of valuable medicinal plants are in danger of extinction due to indiscriminate exploitation, lack of conservation planning, and illegal export. Wintergreen barberry (Berberis julianae), a precious genetic source and a valuable herbal plant for intestinal cure, is facing with a serious degradation resulted by the local overexploitation. In the past, this plant was widely scattered in many parts of Sapa but now it can be found mainly in O Quy Ho and Ta Phin.In order to prevent the degradation of such a valuable plant and find out measures for breeding and conservation, a project on "Enhancing wintergreen barberry root biomass by aeroponic technology for berberin production" led by Mr. Lai Duc Luu, Institute of Agro-Biology, Vietnam National University of Agriculture was implemented by combining tissue culture with aeroponics technology. Such first ever done combination in Vietnam helped shortening the breeding time and could enhance the development of the wintergreen barberry root.  Planting the wintergreen barberry was also piloted in Hanoi under various climatic conditions. Although climatic conditions were not appropriate enough, the piloted wintergreen barberry saw its much better root development than those planted in Sapa, about 3.43 times higher. In addition, the berberine content in roots of the piloted ones was about 80% of the traditional planted ones (3.19% vs 3.99%).