Búsqueda de cultivos alternativos en el Valle del Alagón (Cáceres, España)

Abstract

In the present work we report the search for profitable alternative crops that will be competitive on the market from the zone of Torrejoncillo (province of Cáceres, W. Spain), because traditional agricultural practices are starting to die out. Owing to the increasing demand on the domestic and international markets, we have decided that medicinal plants would offer a good alternative. The following taxa were selected for study: Calendula officinalis L. (Pot marigold), Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s wort), Taraxacum officinale Weber (Dandylion) and Trifolium pratense L. (Red clover), because these plants are able to adapt to the environmental and pedological conditions of the area and are in great demand on the Spanish market. We report the quantitative yield of the crops per hectare and the content in active principles of the plants and their profitability. The work is completed with a monographic study of each of the species selected.