Bi-weekly Bulletin
July 11, 2003 Volume 16 Number 13
ISSN 1494-1805
AAFC No. 2081/E

CANADA: SEA BUCKTHORN
Sea buckthorn berry production, largely unharvested, is estimated at more than 1.6 million kilograms (Mkg) from shelterbelt plantings and 200 hectares (ha) of orchard plantation across Canada and may provide an opportunity to further diversify Canadian agriculture. The berries, considered amongst the most nutritious and vitamin-rich fruits found, have very good potential as a leading candidate to create a value added industry with many agri-food products. Sea buckthorn's ideal suitability to climatic conditions across most of Canada and its low to zero nutrient and pesticide requirement also make it a good candidate to contribute to improved environmental farming practice under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) Agriculture Policy Framework (APF). This Bi-weekly Bulletin provides a summary of sea buckthorn research undertaken by the food research program within AAFC.

Background
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), a plant native to Europe and Asia, is currently being domesticated in Canada. Sea buckthorn has been known and used by Eurasians for centuries. It was first mentioned in the ancient Greek writings where horses fed with the leaves and young branches of the sea buckthorn plant experienced increased weight gain and developed a shiny coat. This provided the basis for the Latin name, 'Hippo' - horse and 'phaos' - to shine. The medicinal value of sea buckthorn was also recorded in Tibetan medical records in the eighth century.

In Russia, the sea buckthorn industry has been thriving since the 1940s, when scientists began to investigate the active properties found in the fruit and leaves. In China, research and plantation establishments were initiated in the 1980s and since 1982 over 300,000 ha of sea buckthorn have been planted. This has created 150 processing factories, producing over 200 products.

Plant and Environment
Of the five species of sea buckthorn, only one, Hippophae rhamnoides, has an extremely wide distribution stretching from China westward to Britain and north to Finland. This variety is further divided into eight subspecies. It grows on hills, valleys, riverbeds, and along seacoasts and islands. Sea buckthorn usually forms a shrub or tree varying from less than 50 centimetres to more than 20 metres (m) in height.

Sea buckthorn can grow in arid conditions and tolerates cold winters. It is considered drought resistant, however it is not recommended to be grown on regions that receive less than 400 millimetres of rain as fruit production will be significantly reduced. It prefers sandy and neutral soils but is most productive in soils with pH values from 5-9. It can tolerate sea water flooding and will survive in soils that have developed salinity problems. Its extensive root system and the plant's ability to multiply by suckering, make sea buckthorn an ideal plant for soil conservation and riverbank erosion control.

Sea buckthorn is a dioecious species with male and female flowers on separate trees, therefore it is essential that both male and female plants are in proximity to ensure fruit production. The flowers do not produce nectar which eliminates pollination by insects. One male plant can pollinate six or more females through the movement of air, aided by wind. Sex of the plant can only be determined after the seedlings reach four years old. Vegetative propagation of male and female plants from suckers, softwood, hardwood or roots is the only way to pre-determine sex.

Rows of sea buckthorn are planted perpendicular to prevailing winds to ensure good pollination. Spacing between rows is about 4 m and spacing of plants within a row ranges between 1.0-1.5 m depending on the variety and growth pattern. It is recommended that male trees be mixed into every second or third row of female trees in a systematic pattern to yield a ratio of between 1:6 and 1:12 males to females.
Beyond fertilization during initial planting, sea buckthorn rarely requires fertilization as it is able to fix atmospheric nitrogen and conserve other essential nutrients. Pruning of the female plants is recommended for ease of picking and to provide sunlight to the berries on lower limbs. Weeds can be controlled by the use of plastic mulch, glyphosate or tilling but are not considered a serious threat to established plants. Sea buckthorn can experience disease problems such as verticillium wilt on the plant, but infestations are not a concern. Integrated pest management practices are not needed, but pests specific for infestations such as the sea buckthorn fly are sometimes used. Severe infestations are unlikely and therefore spraying for flies is rarely needed.

Sea buckthorn berries range from yellow, orange, to red in colour and come in many types of shapes and sizes. Berries can weigh between 4-60 grams (g) per 100 berries. Normally sea buckthorn has thorns surrounding the berries which also vary in density, shape, size and sharpness. In Russia, Germany and Mongolia, thornless or near thornless cultivars have been bred.