A Ministry of Education USR project, “From Forest Cohabitation to Life Promotion”, is being used to promote under-forest cultivation and biotechnology R&D. The project integrates policies from the Forestry Bureau(COA) and is being championed by a team from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) which been working with local tribes over a 5-year period. On July 18, the university held an “Under-Forest Jewel Orchid Biotechnology Product R&D Results Exhibition” at the 1st floor Library and Conference Hall. Professor of forestry, Meihui Chen, and professors of biotechnology, Wen-Ling Shih and Chi-I Chang, worked together on the project, which has resulted in a series of under-forest cultivated Jewel Orchid (Anoectochilus formosanus Hayata) products, including probiotics, creams and tea bags. They also demonstrated the differences in functional components of under-forest Jewel Orchids vs. those cultivated in greenhouses. With representative of the Forestry Bureau present to witness the event, a signing ceremony was held for an MoU between NPUST and its project partners, including Ali Community (Wutai Township, Pingtung), Gongxing Community (Fanlu Township, Chiayi), and Shishui Community (Yuchi Township, Nantou).
Since 2018, the team from NPUST has been cooperating with the Ali community on cultivation projects using humus soil to culture seedlings in baskets in order to shorten the cultivation time. Plastic bags and seine nets are also used to protect the plants which are cultivated in the natural forest environments without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The NPUST Plant Medicine Teaching Hospital is cooperating on the project to study common diseases and pests, and help develop the under forest Jewel Orchid products.
The Department of Biotechnology conducted tests to assess the functional components and biological activities of extracts from the plants grown using the under forest method verses those produced in greenhouses. The results confirmed that the under-forest Jewel Orchids were richer in functional substances, and had excellent antioxidant and anti-glycation activity. The content of the key components was measured to be about 25% higher than what was seen in plants cultivated in growing facilities.
Recognizing the high economic and health value of the plants gown using the under forest method, NPUST used them to develop products for the market, including probiotics and facial creams. In addition to these, they also combined extracts with organically cultivated black tea (Taicha No. 18) grown by the Shishui Community of Yuchi Township on Sun Moon Lake to develop a tea bags with excellent flavor.
Anoectochilus formosanus Hayata is an endemic species in Taiwan which is distributed in the bottom layer of shady broad-leaved forests in altitudes between 500-1,800 meters across the island. It is a perennial medicinal plant and contains gastrodin and anoectochilus and has a reputation for being the “king of medicine”. Traditionally it is believed to be able to treat liver disease and diabetes. In the early days, those who sought after the plant depended on indigenous people and forest farmers to collect it from the wild, but because of over collection it eventually became difficult to find in its natural setting. At present, large-scale greenhouse cultivation is used to grow the plant for commercial use.
In order to promote the under forests cultivation of the Jewel Orchid in various regions, NPUST rented afforested land in Chiayi County’s first state-owned forestry district and formed a cooperative with 33 individuals. Together, they go deep into the forest to conduct their cultivation and research activities.
Through the projects promoted by its Community Forestry Center, NPUST has spared no effort when it comes to helping community development. The success of the Jewel Orchid project, which not only protects the wild life, but also provides local communities and tribes with a sustainable economy, is another example of their contributions. The team plans to expand its work according to the Satoyama spirit of community forestry and implement their practices in more communities throughout Taiwan.
