FEATURE

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Suwon Experim

Jungpyong Experim

Received for publication 2 Mais indebted to the Government oKorea, through its Office of MKorean Ginseng and Tobacco Rfor financial support of his stuNecessary additional financial spossible through Operating Grthe Natural Sciences and EngCouncil of Canada held by J.T.Aand Debbie Wilson are thankesistance during preparation of thare indebted to numerous Koreatension personnel and growers wof their time, experience, and hoof publishing this paper was dethe payment of page charges. Ulations, this paper therefore mustadvertisement solely to indicate

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Ginseng Production in Korea

John T.A. Proctor

f Horticultural Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont. N1G 2W1, Canada

Jong Chul Leeent Station, Korean Ginseng and Tobacco Research Institute, 445-820 Dangsu-Ri,

Banwol-Myun, Hwasong-Kun, Kyonggi, Korea

Sung-Sik Leeent Station, Korean Ginseng and Tobacco Research Institute, 367-900, Chojung-Ri,

Jungpyong- Up, Kwaesan-Kun, Choongbuk, Korea

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) “hasbeen a mysterious cure-all medicine in Asiafor several thousand years” (Hong, 1978).Early reports from Koguryo (which includespresent-day Korea) state that wild-growingginseng was taken to China in 435-546(Hong, 1978). Inevitably, collecting the na-tive plant depleted the natural stand (this wasnoted in 1567-1608) and led to cultivationunder artificial shade. Today the plant is pro-tected worldwide by CITES, the Conventionon International Trade in Endangered Spe-cies (Singer, 1982). Most production of gin-seng is under artificial shade modified bylocal requirements and expertise (for China,see Proctor et al., 1988). A small amount ofginseng is still collected from native standsor cultivated under forest canopies. The pur-pose of this report is to provide informationabout the Korean ginseng industry as part ofour continuing attempt to make informationabout world ginseng cultivation readilyavailable (Proctor and Bailey, 1987; Proctoret al., 1988).

Growing ginseng in the Republic of Ko-rea. Ginseng is native to Korea and, al-though somewhat rare, can still be found inmountainous areas, particularly in northernparts. The area within which it is cultivatedis from 36° to 38°N (Fig. 1). Inside this areaare two regions of ginseng production-onein the south centered around Daejeon andone in the north, the major area, bounded bythe demilitarized zone and the two coasts.Local soil types and microclimate within thesetwo regions dictate which type of ginseng,

r. 1989. J.T.A.P.f the Republic ofonopoly and theesearch Institute,

dy tour of Korea.upport was made

ant no. A6697 ofineering Research

.P. Ido Schechterd for technicalas-is manuscript. Wen research and ex-ho gave so freelyspitality, The costfrayed in part bynder postal regu-

be hereby marked this fact.

red or white, is cultivated. At harvest, gin-seng root is naturally yellowish white and isdried in sunlight or placed in forced-air driers.The resultant product is called white gin-seng. At harvest in Korea, an alternativeprocedure is to select 6-year-old yellowishwhite roots and steam them to a reddish-brown before drying them in the sun. Thisproduct is known as red ginseng. Major pro-duction of red ginseng is in the north.

The Office of Monopoly of the KoreanGovernment regulates all aspects of ginsengcollection, cultivation, manufacturing, sales,and export. This control ensures develop-ment of an export strategy for an entire in-dustry and stable returns to growers. Redginseng is classified as a monopoly item.Government approval is required for culti-vating red ginseng and it must be grown 1

Fig. 1. Map of South Korea showing the two magrown within these regions, and the major citiesKorea).

year in a seedling nursery and 5 years intransplanted raised beds covered with shade(Figs. 2 and 3). The amount that is author-ized to be seeded is determined by demandand supply and is aimed at guaranteeing sta-ble income for growers and increasing thenational revenue. White ginseng is grown for4 to 6 years.

Planting area, particularly for red ginseng,increased dramatically between 1982 and1984, but has decreased somewhat since then(Table 1). This change has not been reflectedgreatly in the amount harvested, e.g., 917ha planted in 1984 and only 461 ha (50%)harvested in 1988. Disease incidence has beenhigh during this period and probably ac-counts for much of the area not meeting thehigh grades required for red ginseng and,therefore, being harvested and handled as

jor ginseng-producing regions, types of ginseng. (DMZ = demilitarized zone; border with North

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Fig. 2. A typical ginseng garden in Korea occupying ≈2 ha.

Fig. 3. Korean ginseng plants, from 1 (left) to 6 years old (right). Seed production is obvious byyear 4. Root fresh weights during years 1 through 6 are ≈0.5, 8, 40, 70, 100, and 125 g, respectively.

Table 1. Area of Korean red and white ginseng planted and harvested and total yield of root from1982 to 1988.z

zData supplied by the Korea Monopoly Corp.yRoot yield is based on an average yield of 1.5 kg fresh weight per 3.3 m2 and that 0.66 of the totalarea was cropped.xYield dry weight was calculated using a dry matter content of 30%.

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white ginseng. Standards for producing redginseng are very high and include applica-tion for producing only in specified areas andgovernment approval to harvest. There areno such restrictions on cultivating areas forwhite ginseng, and digging has to be re-ported, not approved.

Total production has been fairly constantat ≈3000 t since 1984 (Table 1). Using 1988figures, this gives 908 kg·ha-1. As notedpreviously (Proctor et al., 1988), this is alow yield, but does not take into account rootsize or other characteristics of quality.

Marketing. At harvest, the fresh roots mustbe dried to maintain quality and avoid break-down in storage. Quality grading of whiteroots is done mainly by external character-istics, such as the thickness and length of themain and lateral roots, surface color, anddegree of blemishing by diseases and in-sects. The five grades for red ginseng areknown as “Heaven” (1st), “Earth” (2nd),“Good” (3rd), “Cut” (4th), and “Tails”(5th). A wide range of processed productsare made from both red (4th and 5th grades)and white ginseng-for specific examples,see Table 2.

The export value of Korean ginseng hasincreased steadily since 1965 (Table 3). In1987, 41% of total exports was whole redginseng roots followed by 30% manufac-tured products of white ginseng, 23% wholewhite ginseng roots, and 7% manufacturedproducts of red ginseng.

Manufactured white ginseng products.There are many types of products made fromKorean ginseng, including extracts, tea,drinks, gum, and candy. The extracts areoriginally made with a solvent and then con-centrated. They are easy to dissolve in waterand have the characteristic ginseng flavor witha slightly bitter taste. Ginseng tea is a majorproduct and is usually in a granulated orpowdered form with sugar (Song, 1978). Thevalue of some of these products in 1985 in-dicates that domestic worth was about twicethat of export (Table 3).

Production practices. Present-day prac-tices for cultivating ginseng in Korea havebeen developed over centuries. However,there remain problems, challenges, and op-portunities from which Westerners can learn.

Seed propagation. The principal means ofpropagating ginseng is by seed (Proctor andBailey, 1987). Seed germination is not easilyachieved because of dormancy-controllingmechanisms that are poorly understood.Normally, American ginseng germinates 18to 22 months after seed harvest (Polczinski,1982). In Korea, the Oriental ginseng isstratified in sand outdoors in a wooden boxor drained cement cylinder (Fig. 4) from seedharvested in mid-July until early November(Park and Lee, 1981: Korea Monopoly Corp.,1987). The freshly harvested seed must notbe treated with fungicides because such ap-plications decrease subsequent germination.The seed and sand are mixed 1:3 (v/v) andplaced in the container (Fig. 4). Water isadded to the container until the excess is ob-served draining out, twice daily from lateJuly to mid-September, once per day until

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Table 2. Value (unit, US$1000) of various Korean manufactured white ginseng products exported orsold domestically in 1985.z

zData supplied by the Korea Monopoly Corp.

Table 3. Export value (unit, US$1000) of Korean red and white ginseng and their manufacturedproducts in selected years from 1965 to 1987.z

zData supplied by the Korea Monopoly Corp.

Fig. 4. After-ripening treatment of “green” Korean seed immediately following fruit harvest and seedwith seed, sand, gravel, and stones to which water is added frequently. All are protected by a roof. (r

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mid-October, and then once every 2 or 3days until early November. The estimatedrequired water content of the sand is 10% to15%. Excess water decreases subsequent seedgermination. The above treatment causes seedcoat cracking and embryo growth.

The treated seeds then are planted in thenursery bed in early November and germi-nate the following spring, ≈8 months afterseed harvest. This Korean technology hasnot been adapted for American ginseng, inspite of the reduction in germination timefrom 18 to 8 months after seed harvest. Joet al. (1988) recently suggested that strati-fication at 20C of American ginseng imme-diately after seed harvest for embryoactivation, followed by transfer to 15C forembryo growth, might allow early germi-nation.

Shade. Koreans have recognized that it isnecessary to change their shade structuresand garden design for ginseng production toincrease light penetration and consequentyields (Lee et al., 1980; Proctor and Bailey,1987). The impermeable thatch shade of strawor reeds (Fig. 2) does not allow enough lightto reach the rows in the back of the bed, andaccess to the beds for spraying and weedingis difficult. Research has been initiated todevelop a different shade material (Fig. 5).Since these experiments take a minimum of6 years to complete, recommendations forthe industry are not yet forthcoming. A ma-jor unresolved problem is that the shade shouldpermit enough light to reach the plants, butshould not allow the heavy rains of the sum-mer monsoons to hit the plants directly.

extraction. (left) Large concrete containers filledight) Diagram of the container and its contents.

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Fig. 5. Experimental black plastic shade arranged like a quonset greenhouse. Shades with light trans-mission from 5% in the right rear to 20% in the front right arc being evaluated.

Pest control. Generally, the pest problemsof ginseng, particularly diseases, are similarwherever ginseng is grown (Proctor and Bai-

Table 4. Some common pest problems in Korean

zPests listed are taken from Korean Monopoly CorpyAlthough specific chemicals are mentioned, they shosource for this listing was the “Standard methods o

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ley, 1987: Proctor et al., 1988). Within eachgrowing area, specific climatic factors mayaccentuate pest problems. For instance, in

ginseng production and chemicals used for control.

. et al., (1984).uld be regarded only as examples and in no way aref ginseng cultivation”, Korea Monopoly Corp. (198

China (Proctor et al., 1988), summer mon-soons may restrict’ pesticide application andallow spread of diseases. Korea also expe-riences summer monsoons (Proctor and Lee,1981), and similar disease problems exist.

A list of major pest problems in Korea andchemicals applied for their control is givenin Table 4. Because of the size and impor-tance of the ginseng industry to Korea, alarge arsenal of control chemicals has beendeveloped. In contrast, only three chemicals(anilazine, iprodione, and mancozeb) areregistered in Canada, and a few registeredchemicals have limited use in the United States(Heize, 1984). In spite of the availability ofchemicals in Korea, disease control remainsthe central problem in production, as it doesin the rest of the world.

Pesticide application is usually by a spraygun attached by a hose to a central spraymixing and pumping station, similar to thatdescribed and illustrated for spraying of fruittrees (Proctor and Lee, 1981). The parallelin North American ginseng production, until≈20 years ago, was the tractor-drawn tankand pump to which was attached a hose andspray gun. The tractor was parked next tothe ginseng gardens and spraying carried outby pulling the hoses through the gardens.

to be considered as recommendations. The primary7).

Changes in garden structure and sprayer de-velopment in North America have seen theadvent of the cart-mounted sprayer and wideboom that is driven through the gardens(Proctor et al., 1988). Such developmentshave not occurred yet in Korea because ofthe necessary radical changes needed in gar-den design and shade structure.

The future. Korea is the largest or secondlargest producer of ginseng in the world(Proctor et al., 1988). Expanding produc-tion, strong field and laboratory researchprograms, product development, and a highlyorganized and aggressive world-wide mar-keting system should ensure continuation ofthis leadership. Markets should expand be-cause of a gradual shift towards a holisticapproach in Western medicine and use ofethnic herbal medicines rather than Westernsynthetics.

Literature CitedHeize, L. 1984. Problems with pesticide registra-

tion and ginseng export, p. 53-60. In: J.T.A.Proctor (ed.). Proc. Sixth North American Gin-seng Conference, Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, Ont.,

Hong, S.K. 1978. Ginseng cultivation, p. 245-272. In: H.W. Bae (ed.). Korean ginseng. Ko-

Canada.

rean Ginseng Res. Inst., Seoul.Jo, J., F.A. Blazich, and T.R. Konsler. 1988.

Postharvest seed maturation of American gin-seng: stratification temperatures and delay ofstratification. HortScicnce 23:995-997.

Korea Monopoly Corp. 1987. Standard methodsof ginseng cultivation. 3rd ed. Shintanjin, Ko-rea.

Korean Monopoly Corp., Korea Ginseng and To-bacco Research Inst., and Ginseng GrowersAssn. of Korea. 1984. Ginseng: Diseases, in-sects and color pictures. Korea Monopoly Corp.,Shintangin, Korea.

Lee, J.C., S.K. Cheon, Y.T. Kim, and J.S. Jo,1980. Studies on the effect of shading materialson the temperature, light intensity, photosyn-thesis, and the root growth of Korean ginseng(Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). J. Korean Soc.Crop Sci. 2.5:91-98.

Park, H. and C.H. Lee. 1981. Cultural practices

Polczinski, L.C. 1982. Ginseng (Panax quinque-

of Panax ginseng in Korea, p. 32-34. In: N.A.

folius L.) culture in Marathon County, Wiscon-sin: Historical growth, distribution and soils

Lapp (ed.). Proc. Third Natl. Ginseng Conf.,Asheville, N.C.

inventory. MS Thesis. Univ. of Wisconsin, Ste-vens Point.

Proctor, J.T.A. and W.G. Bailey. 1987. Ginseng:Industry, botany and culture. Hort. Rev. 9:187-236.

Proctor, J.T.A. and J.C. Lee. 1981. The appleindustry in Korea. HortScience 16:609-614.

Proctor, J.T.A., T.S. Wang, and W.G. Bailey.1988. East meets west: Cultivation of Americanginseng in China. HortScience 23:968-973.

Singer, S.R. 1982. Export of American ginsengfrom the United States, p. 77-86. In: C.R. Rob-erts and J. English (eds.). Proc. Fifth Natl. Gin-seng Conf., Lexington, Ky.

Song, Y.D. 1978. Manufacture of ginseng prod-ucts, p. 221-242. In: H.W. Bae (ed.). Koreanginseng. Korean Ginseng Res. Inst., Seoul.

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