TOPIC: Concerns about introducing \"bought\" seeds into wild habitat

Hi all! First post here. Just stumbled on this site a couple days ago. I live in southern Ohio and have lived on or near good wild ginseng habitat most of my life. In the past I've always just re-seeded using the wild seeds. Where I currently live is also good habitat and I'm very tempted to order some seeds to plant but have concerns. I need assurance.
How do you all know that the seeds you are bringing in and planting in the wild will not somehow be harmful to the wild plants? I'm not a PhD but I feel there is a risk for the spread of disease/pathogens/genetic disorders/etc by doing this.

That's a valid concern. However there are many experts that truly feel that most of the so called wild seng we call wild ginseng are offspring of seed bought and planted by our ancestors in the late 1800's and early 1900's. So even at best many so called wild seng is possibly seng that has probable already cross pollinated with seed ordered and planted back in the day.
Latt

EDinOH,

I agree that you have some valid concerns there, at least two of them.

Definately possible to introduce disease issues, pathogens via the seed. Most seed sold is from artificial shade grown cultivated plantings where they plant them very thick and spray quite often to control disease.

Absolutely possible for the seed to be contaminated and get to your woodlands when those seeds are planted.

You should treat the seed you purchase with a 10% clorox solution, for about 10 minutes, then rinse it good. That will sure help to eliminate any disease issues on the seed coat.

I treated seed like that last year and I would say that 1/4 to 1/3 of them were cracked and smiling (starting to sprout) and it did no harm to the seed - I had excellent germination from them.

It would be best to buy seed from a \"wild-simulated\" grower if you could. Less disease issues that way, less chance of the seed carrying disease.

But now let me show you something on your concern for \"genetic\" issues. I found the article below while looking around online last year.

Bottom line is that wild ginseng populations are often quite isolated, and basically have very little genetic diversity, and suffer as a result. Mixing with outside sources (like cultivated seed source) actually produces much better plants, larger roots, etc... (acording to the study below).

TNhunter

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Effects of self-pollination and outcrossing with cultivated plants in small natural populations of American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius (Araliaceae)1
Emily H. Mooney and James B. McGraw
West Virginia University, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 6057, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506 USA


ABSTRACT

For rare plants, self-pollination and inbreeding can increase in small populations, while unusual levels of outcrossing can occur through restoration efforts. To study both inbreeding and outcrossing, we performed experimental pollinations using Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng), a wild-harvested plant with a mixed mating system.

For inbreeding, plants were either cross-pollinated within the population or self-pollinated, which resulted in a higher proportion of seeds from self-pollinated flowers.

For outcrossing, wild plants were either cross-pollinated within the population or with cultivated plants from West Virginia or Wisconsin.

Offspring of all crosses were followed for 4 yr.

Two-yr-old seedlings from self-pollination had 45% smaller leaf areas and 33% smaller heights relative to those from cross-pollination. Leaf area is a positive predictor of longer-term survival in wild populations.

Our results suggest inbreeding depression, which is unexpected in this self-fertile species.

Seedlings from crosses with cultivated plants had 127% greater leaf area and 165% greater root biomass relative to outcrosses within the population.

The accelerated growth suggests genetic differences between wild and cultivated populations, but outbreeding depression may not appear until later generations. Assessment of the ultimate fitness consequences of introducing cultivated genotypes requires monitoring over longer time periods.

Thanks for the responses. Is there a wild simulated seed seller (or a few) you could recommend?

I would agree with Latt that most of the \"wild\" ginseng is actually more \"naturalized\" than wild. If you go to the definitions that the USFWS has offered to differentiate wild and wild-simulated ginseng, it hinges on the fact that \"wild\" ginseng that has reproduced without human influence, i.e. the seed falls off the plant and grows, therefore it's wild.

Wild-simulated would therefore be ginseng propagated through human influence. Using this arguement, when you are out digging \"wild\" ginseng, and replant the berries, wouldn't the resulting plant then be \"wild simulated\" or at least not \"wild\" by that definition. If this statement is true, then tracing back through the history of ginseng harvesting and replanting of berries, then there would be very little actual \"wild\" ginseng in existence.

It's like a chicken and egg scenario.

Ed,

I am a ginseng educator also located in Southern Ohio. I work with landowners around various income development projects, which usually means ginseng and other woodland medicinal herbs..

If you would like to contact me directly (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) I can discuss some seed purchasing options with you from various suppliers. There are lots of options out there at a lot of different prices. My organization sells seeds, as does wildgrown.com, and many others. Can't really go into much more detail because this is technically Wildgrown's business space, and I do not want infringe upon that.

Thanks

Tanner

Your comments are vaid, and are worth considering. I had many such concerns last year when I got started.

However many of the concerns have been addressed by finding my own answers... research, reading forums like this one, and talking to seed sellers.

YOu should invest in the Person's book, it may assit you in answering your Q's... I found it to be a great resource.

I still have not resolved the genetics question in my mind as to quality of indroduced seed... for example: like putting field-grown seed into a wild-simulated approach and expecting the great potency of a wild-simulated root every time.

I'm not real sure how to get an answer on that one... there are conflicting points of view even here on this forum as to that one.

Been wanting to post but was unable to login; had to re-register.

Thanks for the comments. I considered all the points made and even spoke with Tanner for a while on the phone about the concerns. I feel more confident now to plant the seeds on my property and secured a few pounds of seeds from a nearby source; which also makes me feel better about it.

I do have the Persons book on order. I've had that old, old book, \"Ginseng and other medicinal plants\" for many, many years (but now I can't find it). It's good to see that wild growing ginseng has come a long way since way back when I first got into it.

EDinOH,
On introducing bought seed I'd be sure and keep it seperated from my wild stand of seng just to be safe. rootman