ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1381: XXXI International Horticultural Congress (IHC2022): International Symposium on Advances in Berry Crops
Goji berry cultivation in Romania, a pathway between traditional uses and modern breeding, cultivation, and citizen�s acceptance |
| Authors: | R. Ciceoi, O. Venat, M.M. Stavrescu-Bedivan, V. Luchian, F. Stănică, A.C. Asănică |
| Keywords: | goji fruit, Lycium barbarum, Lycium chinense, medicinal uses, traditional uses, breading |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1381.49 |
| Abstract:
Fruits, leaves, young shoots, roots, or bark of different Lycium species have been used as local food and medicine in Asia, Europe, South America, North America, and Africa. Worldwide, out of almost 100 Lycium species, 31 were mentioned as source of food or medicine, while in Eurasia, out of 14 species, nine were used as food. Recent phytochemical studies partially explain goji berry benefits on health, as the antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial effects, by quantifying its content in polysaccharides, carotenoids, alkaloids, etc. Goji berry was advertised as a �superfood�, especially in Europe and North America, skyrocketing the market demand and pushing farmers to respond to this rapid gain in popularity. Breeding local cultivars became a necessity, as the imported material not always excelled in its performances. Since 2011, �Synthia�, �Natasha�, �JB1�, �GB1� and �Magestic� cultivars were registered in Europe. In Romania, goji is used for hundreds of years, as ornamental and melliferous plant, as a slope-fixing and anti-erosion plant, being traditionally known as �gărdurariță�(fencing plant) or �cătina de garduri� (fences sea buckthorn). Romanian flora mentions only Lycium halimifolium L. as a wild species, but the general belief is that there are two different species, the wild one, and the cultivated one, L. barbarum L. In fact, these two species names are synonyms. The Romanian breading efforts ended up in the registration of seven new goji cultivars, namely �Erma� and �Transilvania� (2017), �Kirubi� (2018), �Kronstadt� (2019), �Bucur� and �Sara� (2020), �Anto� (2021) in the Official Catalogue of Cultivated Plants in Romania. This allows Romanian growers to establish commercial plantations of L. barbarum and L. chinense with certified plant material. Currently, commercial plantations and marketing brands are registered in Bihor, Brașov, Călărași, Cluj, Constanța, D�mbovița, Hunedoara, Prahova, Satu Mare, Sibiu and Vaslui counties, and the trend is ascending. The present work reviews the goji cultivation in Romania. | |
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