Cultivation potential of Taraxacum campylodes G.E.Haglund wild populations: morphological and biochemical variation

The common dandelion (Taraxacum campylodes G.E.Haglund) is known for its medicinal properties and as a non-toxic, highly nutritious edible plant. Even though the herb is mostly collected in the wild, the food and pharmaceutical industries prefer cultivated plant material. Cultivation offers the possibility to achieve predictable yields, ensure the botanical identity of the plants and products can be certified according to organic or biodynamic standards; therefore the interest in domestication is growing. Due to the scarcity of research on dandelion cultivation in agricultural systems, the current study focused on determining the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of 13 wild populations from Latvia in an organic farming system. Populations collected at Gluda, Priekuli, Mundigciems, Marupe as well as variety TA008 had the highest dry root weight (>100 g per plant) and exceeded the root weight of variety Nouvelle more than two-fold. The highest concentration of chlorogenic acid (CHA) (0.12%) and chicoric acid (CCA) (0.15%) was found in the wild population collected in Turaida. The wild populations from Marupe and Mundigciems had a high average root weight as well as a relatively high CHA and CCA content, making them suitable for commercial growing. The present study examined the feasibility of cultivating wild dandelion populations in an organic farming system. The results revealed a high degree of variation within and between populations; therefore, dandelion wild populations can be used for domestication, breeding and selection of accessions most suitable for the pharmaceutical or food industries.