Ex-Situ Cultivation of Medicinal Plant Species in High Altitudes at Swat,Pakistan

An ex-situ experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth performance of six medicinal species (Bergenia ciliata, Valeriana jatamansi, Dioscorea deltoidea, Paeonia emodi, Polygonum amplexicaule and Viola serpense) from upper Swat , Pakistan . Experiments were conducted at four different locations in the upper Swat valley at altitudes ranging from1200 to 1900 m. a. s. l . The objectives were : 1) to determine the suitability of ex-situ cultivation of different medicinal species, and; 2) to assess the economic geasibility of growing medicinal plants in the area . A highest mean survival of 80.7% across all locations was observed for Viola serpense, followed by 58.7% for Valeriana jatamansi. The remaining four species exhibited very poor survival rates , although Polygonum amplexicaule, did show encouraging signs of growth and flowered , before experiencing high mortality rates late in the trial . Altitude generally seemed to enhance the degree of sprouting for all species except Viola serpense. However, the productive yield of V. serpense was certainly not reduced, but rather slightly enhanced in the higher altitude sites. Overall, cultivation of only two of the investigated species, Valeriana jatamansi and Viola serpense, appearedsuccessful and potentially economically viable under farmland conditions at upper Swat .