#The Story of Sulwhasoo Korean Herbal Medicinal Material
2019.10.10
Edition 2. The Life of Ginseng and Production Technology
The Interesting and Surprising Story Shared by Experts at Sulwhasoo Heritage & Science Center.
The second edition introduces to you the life of ginseng and its cultivation technologies.
The second edition introduces to you the life of ginseng and its cultivation technologies.
Finding Ginseng in History
It's difficult to accurately pinpoint when and where ginseng was first used for medicinal purposes. We can only infer based on remaining records. We don't know for sure how many historical records have been destroyed or yet to be discovered throughout our history. Shall we first take a look at known history?
Among Chinese records, 『Shanghan Lun』, an Korean herbal medicinal prescription book during the late Han dynasty (AD 196–219), has a record of using ginseng as medicinal prescription. The book holds 20 different prescriptions including "Baekhogainsamtang". During Qi (around AD 500), Tao Hongjing wrote in detail in 『Shennong Ben Cao Jing』 about the efficacy of ginseng. It says ginseng is used as main ingredient in bringing energy to the five viscera (heart, liver, lung, kidney, spleen). And according to records on the habitat of wild ginseng plants, we can tell that ginseng was widely used during the era. The literature contains 365 types of herbal medicines, which are categorized into high quality, medium quality and low-quality groups depending on efficacy. Among the herbs, high-quality items were considered rare and precious as they do no harm to the body even when taken in big amounts, have no toxicity and extend one's life. And of course, ginseng was recorded as a high-quality prescription.
Among Chinese records, 『Shanghan Lun』, an Korean herbal medicinal prescription book during the late Han dynasty (AD 196–219), has a record of using ginseng as medicinal prescription. The book holds 20 different prescriptions including "Baekhogainsamtang". During Qi (around AD 500), Tao Hongjing wrote in detail in 『Shennong Ben Cao Jing』 about the efficacy of ginseng. It says ginseng is used as main ingredient in bringing energy to the five viscera (heart, liver, lung, kidney, spleen). And according to records on the habitat of wild ginseng plants, we can tell that ginseng was widely used during the era. The literature contains 365 types of herbal medicines, which are categorized into high quality, medium quality and low-quality groups depending on efficacy. Among the herbs, high-quality items were considered rare and precious as they do no harm to the body even when taken in big amounts, have no toxicity and extend one's life. And of course, ginseng was recorded as a high-quality prescription.
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Tao Hongjing, 『Shennong Ben Cao Jing』: Tao Hongjing (top left) explains the medicinal effects of ginseng in this book.
(Source : Korea Ginseng Association)
According to Korean records, Baekje traded ginseng with Chu in 549, Silla with Tang dynasty in 627, and Balhae with Japan in 739.
The ginseng mentioned until now refers to "sansam or wild ginseng" in today's terms. Ginseng during these eras was not cultivated; they were harvesting and using wild ginseng. Ginseng back then was not called 'sansam' from the beginning, but rather, the word 'sansam' was coined after when we started to use wild-simulated ginseng and cultivated ginseng to differentiate the different types. Calling all of them 'insam' or ginseng is correct.
But just for better understanding, we introduce to you the names that were given to ginseng based on the places they were found.
The ginseng mentioned until now refers to "sansam or wild ginseng" in today's terms. Ginseng during these eras was not cultivated; they were harvesting and using wild ginseng. Ginseng back then was not called 'sansam' from the beginning, but rather, the word 'sansam' was coined after when we started to use wild-simulated ginseng and cultivated ginseng to differentiate the different types. Calling all of them 'insam' or ginseng is correct.
But just for better understanding, we introduce to you the names that were given to ginseng based on the places they were found.
Ginseng, from Sansam (Wild Ginseng) – Sanyangsam (Wild-Simulated Ginseng) – Gasam (Cultivated Ginseng)
Ginseng was traded with or used as tributes to China and Japan up until before Goryeo dynasty. During late Goryeo dynasty in the 14th century, China's Yuan dynasty's demand for tributes rose so much so that it was too much to meet with only "sansam". It was then when people thought to cultivate ginseng as crop like rice. At first, they harvested "sanyangsam". However, with the medicinal benefits of ginseng becoming more well-known and with the rise of demand for tributes and trade, it became difficult to meet the supply through sanyangsam as well. This was when people started to cultivate "gasam" in their fields. Ginseng became common in people's lives and with the development in cultivation technology, agriculture of cultivating ginseng and the business of selling ginseng created a synergy effect, making Korea the global center for ginseng. This is the background to the birth of Kaesong ginseng and Kaesong merchants.
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Kaesong ginseng: these are photos of the ginseng fields in Kaesong during the Japanese colonial rule. They were in the form of 'gasam', meaning that they were cultivated in the fields, not in the mountains. Unlike now, the sun shading structures were made with straw and they hung low. Harvesting ginseng also looks different from today. Tractors are used in today's harvesting, while farmers had to handpick them in the past. (Source : (left) Korean History Society, (right) Korea Ginseng Corporation)
Sansam (or wild ginseng) generally refers to ginseng grown in the mountains. To clarify, it refers to wild ginseng. Ginseng grows in shady, cool climate and so, under trees in deep forests naturally became the best habitat for ginseng. Weak ginseng would have died out living in the wild, while the last remaining ginseng plants that survived were harvested by ginseng diggers. Today's Goryeo ginseng became the best medicinal herb known as 'mystical medicinal herb' or 'sacred medicinal herb' thanks to these wild ginseng plants.
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Sansam, sanyangsam, gasam: all the same ginseng, but are called by different names depending on where and how it has grown. (Source : (left) SBS, (middle) The Chosun Ilbo, (right) Nongupin Newspaper)
Sanyangsam (or wild-simulated ginseng) refers to ginseng cultivated by planting ginseng seeds in mountains left to grow in an environment most close to its natural habitat without the use of pesticides or man-made facilities. Sanyangsam grow in hillsides where the climate is cool and windy in the slopes that are slanted towards the north or the northeast. One must grow wild-simulated ginseng by choosing a location where wild ginseng would really grow. After at least 6 years or normally after a decade, wild-simulated ginseng will start to look similar to wild ginseng. However, sanyangsam can be attacked by birds or rodents during that time or can rot or die if the natural shades or temperature is not right. Sanyangsam is also called "Jangnoesam", which is another nickname for the type of ginseng because of its long head. Here, the 'head' of the ginseng refers to the part that connects the roots and the stem. The top part of the crop withers during autumn and grows back in the following spring, creating a crease along the head every year. We can tell how old a ginseng is by counting the creases on its head. Jangnoesam is a name given because of the many creases on its long head. Many misunderstand sanyangsam and jangnoesam are different types of ginseng, but in fact they refer to the same type of ginseng.
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Head of sanyangsam: the size and shape of sanyangsam are similar to sansam. There are more long and thin roots than main roots. The "head" part has many thin creases. (Source : TVCC News)
Gasam (or cultivated ginseng) refers to the ginseng we commonly think of. It is cultivated "near homes" to grow well by replicating the growth and development conditions of ginseng such as creating sunshade installations, ridges and drain way as well as picking weeds and providing fertilizer at the right time. This type of ginseng is the ginseng that is most commonly called 'insam (ginseng)' as it is the type that is most commonly cultivated and used.
By the way, there is a difference in how sanyangsam and gasam (cultivated ginseng) are managed. Sanyangsam is classified as a forest product under the 「Forestry and Mountain Villages Development Promotion Act」. Therefore, Korean sanyangsam (wild-simulated ginseng) is managed by the Korea Forest Service and Korea Forestry Promotion Institute. In addition, the Act defines "sanyangsam" with sanyangsam as the official name and jangnoesam only as a nickname. The more commonly used gasam is an agricultural product managed under the guide of 「Ginseng Industry Act」. Gasam is managed and distributed by the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Insam Nonghyup.
Sansam, which was once considered to be the gift of the mountain gods, has become much more easily accessible making its transition from sanyangsam to gasam. Now, shall we experience ginseng cultivation?
Sansam, which was once considered to be the gift of the mountain gods, has become much more easily accessible making its transition from sanyangsam to gasam. Now, shall we experience ginseng cultivation?
Ginseng Cultivation, Well Begun is Half Done
The first thing you need to cultivate ginseng is land. Ginseng grows for more than 4 years in one place, and therefore land is critical. Land with soil that is not watery or sticky and with a slight slope is best. Ginseng does not grow well in stagnant water, so it must be a place that drains well. Also, you must be careful of harmful pathogens. It is best to avoid any field that grew cabbages or radishes right before growing ginseng. That's because microorganisms that trigger damping-off, root rot and stem rot mostly come from cabbage or radish fields. So, it's important to check the previous crop.
Plough the earth to dig furrows and ridges along the east-west direction. The part that gets dug is called the furrow and the other the ridge. You plant ginseng along the ridge, on the higher part of the land where it's easier to drain water.
Plough the earth to dig furrows and ridges along the east-west direction. The part that gets dug is called the furrow and the other the ridge. You plant ginseng along the ridge, on the higher part of the land where it's easier to drain water.
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Cultivating ginseng field: by using a cultivator you can create furrows and ridges. Holes are created for the seeds to be planted along the ridges using a planter and then ginseng seeds are sowed. Straws are placed on top to maintain temperature and prevent soil loss. (Source : self-taken photo)
Now, to plant ginseng seeds. Seeds are planted before midwinter. If you wait for too long, the soil freezes making it difficult to plant the seeds. Also, if the seeds do not have enough wintering time, germination rate drops in the following year. Nowadays, there is a machine that has many needles the size of an index finger attached, allowing farmers to make holes of certain distance to plant one seed in each hole. And then, rows of straws are placed on top to keep them warm and prevent any soil loss.
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Installing sun shading structures: because ginseng is a half shade plant, sun shading structures must be put in place to block direct sunlight. (Source : self-taken photo)
After the winter has passed, sun shading structures are installed by the end of March. Pillars are erected in the fronts and backs of ridges, with those in the north higher than those in the south. Pillars stand every 2 meters and are connected horizontally to place the shades and awnings on top, finishing the home for ginseng plants where direct sunlight is blocked. As a whole, the facility should enable wind to pass with the sunshade open towards the north. As explained in this column's first edition, this cultivation method is adopted to protect ginseng from drying in direct sunlight. A few decades ago, such sunshade structure was made with straw, and lay much lower than structures today. It has been modified and improved recently to make installation much easier. Through these preparations, ginseng grows.
Then, what does a ginseng's life look like?
Then, what does a ginseng's life look like?
Bravo, My Life : Ginseng
The seed waits for spring laying snug in the soil throughout the winter. Come end of March or early April and the seeds sprout a small leaf that looks like an elephant's nose. The most crucial time for a 1-year-old ginseng, especially, is spring. Prematurely grown weeds compete with ginseng for nutrients, water and light. Various weeds including goosefoot, fleabane, and purslane must be removed manually before they grow more. Farmers must help the yet weak ginseng to settle and grow further.
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Ginseng sprouts: these are ginseng sprouts that blossomed from each of the holes. The sprouts that bud in spring must endure weeds, diseases, wind and rain. Sprouts that fail to endure damping-off are cut at the stem as it rots. (Source : self-taken photo)
Plant diseases start to spread in May. There are sprouts that rot in the roots or stem or leaves that dry and die. If farmers are careless in managing the fields, their crops (especially organic ginseng) can be damaged by diseases even if they have chosen the cleanest land in the best condition. Some use pesticides, while others use protectant fungicides in fields that are cultivated in an eco-friendly way. Seeing ginseng sprouts snapped at the stem is very disappointing.
Rainy days are a threat in June. Remember I said ginseng hates water other than the water it needs? The sunshade structure also functions as a rain shelter. To completely block out rain, you must protect the fields completely with the shades. In days of heavy rain and typhoon, windbreak nets are installed additionally to prevent ginseng leaves and stems from breaking or being damaged.
Midsummer is also a challenging season. It is known that the best temperature for ginseng to grow is 21 - 25℃. There are many days that go over 30℃ recently due to abnormal high temperatures and tropical night phenomenon, easily drying out the top part of ginseng plants. The sunshade facilities create a greenhouse effect, increasing the heat further. It is best to rearrange surrounding environment to enable light wind to blow or lightly spray water.
When autumn comes after September, the top part of ginseng dries and withers. This blocks photosynthesis and the roots stop growing. This is when farmers must take care of the soil so that it is not too humid and remove the dead part of the stem because it can be a habitat for pathogens or pests to grow. And so, after winter when spring comes again, the 2-year-old ginseng stem grows to start another year.
Ginseng flowers bud after 3 years. Maybe it is the revelation of god that gifts ginseng offspring for enduring the past 2 years. A bunch of small flowers blossom in 3-year-old ginseng by end of May. Ginseng flowers come into full bloom in 2 to 3 days, only allowing a short window of opportunity to capture the sight. As the flowers fall, green fruits grow into red ginseng fruits (ginseng berries) by early July. But flower buds are sometimes cut off and removed in 3-year-old ginseng to increase root growth. This is to send energy that would have gone to the flower and fruit back into the roots.
Rainy days are a threat in June. Remember I said ginseng hates water other than the water it needs? The sunshade structure also functions as a rain shelter. To completely block out rain, you must protect the fields completely with the shades. In days of heavy rain and typhoon, windbreak nets are installed additionally to prevent ginseng leaves and stems from breaking or being damaged.
Midsummer is also a challenging season. It is known that the best temperature for ginseng to grow is 21 - 25℃. There are many days that go over 30℃ recently due to abnormal high temperatures and tropical night phenomenon, easily drying out the top part of ginseng plants. The sunshade facilities create a greenhouse effect, increasing the heat further. It is best to rearrange surrounding environment to enable light wind to blow or lightly spray water.
When autumn comes after September, the top part of ginseng dries and withers. This blocks photosynthesis and the roots stop growing. This is when farmers must take care of the soil so that it is not too humid and remove the dead part of the stem because it can be a habitat for pathogens or pests to grow. And so, after winter when spring comes again, the 2-year-old ginseng stem grows to start another year.
Ginseng flowers bud after 3 years. Maybe it is the revelation of god that gifts ginseng offspring for enduring the past 2 years. A bunch of small flowers blossom in 3-year-old ginseng by end of May. Ginseng flowers come into full bloom in 2 to 3 days, only allowing a short window of opportunity to capture the sight. As the flowers fall, green fruits grow into red ginseng fruits (ginseng berries) by early July. But flower buds are sometimes cut off and removed in 3-year-old ginseng to increase root growth. This is to send energy that would have gone to the flower and fruit back into the roots.
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Ginseng flower: it is very difficult to see ginseng flower as it is a rare sight for only farmers who cultivate ginseng. This is because the flowers fall quickly in 2 to 3 days. (Source : Ginseng farm blog)
Amorepacific mostly uses 4-year-old ginseng. When ginseng turns 4 years old, they must be tested for safety to see that there are no risks in being used as cosmetics ingredients. We secure the flowers, fruits, leaves and stems when they are at their best condition to be processed as ingredients. For ginseng, this is the time to show its true value and provide the best benefits. Roots are mostly harvested in October. These days, there are precision machines such as tractors that plough the fields pulling ginseng roots out of the ground. These are then dusted off and carefully placed in boxes.
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Harvesting ginseng roots: sunshade facilities are removed, and ginseng roots are harvested in the morning. They must be harvested, packaged and sent to processing plants quickly before they dry up in the sun. (Source : self-taken photo)
Unlike wild ginseng and wild-simulated ginseng, the amount of effort, money and time that a farmer puts in throughout the life of a ginseng plant is enormous. Even with the advancement in cultivation technologies, it is challenging to grow ginseng, which is fragile and sensitive in nature, in the fields. Unpredictable climate and blight are risks as well.
Ginseng that is good for health, but is too difficult to grow – can they only be cultivated in the fields? Are there any new technologies?
Ginseng that is good for health, but is too difficult to grow – can they only be cultivated in the fields? Are there any new technologies?
Ginseng Cultivated Indoors 1 _ Smart Farm
Limitations of the General (Outdoors) Ginseng
Ginseng is a crop that is difficult to cultivate due to its delicate characteristics explained above. The yield is poor in case of blight, continued high temperatures, or when exposed to typhoon. Also, these threats may cause changes to the levels of biologically active substances such as ginsenosides or cause challenges in securing supply. This leads to having to use more original crop when processing ginseng into ingredient, resulting in an increase in price.
Today, we can enjoy strawberries in the winter and have perilla leaves the size of our palms on our tables. This is possible due to protected cultivation under structure. We can grow summer crops during the winter by maintaining warm temperature and the right humidity. We can also keep lights on at night in indoor facilities, preventing flowers from blossoming from sesame seeds, continuing vegetative growth and therefore harvesting large perilla leaves. Currently, there is a trend of increasing cultivation in indoor facilities to complement the limitations of outdoor cultivation and satisfy the needs of consumers.
Vinyl greenhouses are the most common way to cultivate in indoor facilities. However, recently, it has taken a step further to introduce the concept of 'smart farms.' Smart farm is a cultivation system that allows us to manage plants and crops in a clean environment inside state-of-the-art facilities without using agricultural chemicals. In addition, smart farms supply nutrient solution to plants to block microorganisms that cause diseases and help them grow healthy to enable farmers to produce what they need in a short period of time. Technologies that control and manage the growth environment of crops and livestock automatically and remotely through smartphones and PCs by combining ICT with greenhouses and livestock farms are being developed. Such technologies are applied to ginseng cultivation as well.
Today, we can enjoy strawberries in the winter and have perilla leaves the size of our palms on our tables. This is possible due to protected cultivation under structure. We can grow summer crops during the winter by maintaining warm temperature and the right humidity. We can also keep lights on at night in indoor facilities, preventing flowers from blossoming from sesame seeds, continuing vegetative growth and therefore harvesting large perilla leaves. Currently, there is a trend of increasing cultivation in indoor facilities to complement the limitations of outdoor cultivation and satisfy the needs of consumers.
Vinyl greenhouses are the most common way to cultivate in indoor facilities. However, recently, it has taken a step further to introduce the concept of 'smart farms.' Smart farm is a cultivation system that allows us to manage plants and crops in a clean environment inside state-of-the-art facilities without using agricultural chemicals. In addition, smart farms supply nutrient solution to plants to block microorganisms that cause diseases and help them grow healthy to enable farmers to produce what they need in a short period of time. Technologies that control and manage the growth environment of crops and livestock automatically and remotely through smartphones and PCs by combining ICT with greenhouses and livestock farms are being developed. Such technologies are applied to ginseng cultivation as well.
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Combining ICT to agriculture, AgTech: a key part of AgTech is smart farms. Smart farms enable farmers to measure and analyze temperature, humidity, level of sunlight, carbon dioxide, soil and nutrient solution in their facilities, while also allowing them to adjust all these factors through a control system. (Source : KT)
Ginseng Aquaculture
Ginseng aquaculture is a method of cultivation over a short period of time (regardless of season or weather) in a clean environment inside a facility of a certain standard that artificially adjusts the underground and aboveground environments to enable ginseng to well absorb clean water or culture medium dissolved in clean water. This method allows farmers to control environmental factors to grow ginseng that contains high levels of certain saponin and produce ginseng without any damage by diseases under a controlled environment. The biggest advantage of ginseng aquaculture is that the size and components of ginseng are almost consistent with only a small difference among them and that you can predict the crops you are growing because they are cultivated under the same condition.
Amorepacific has conducted joint research on the aboveground part of ginseng cultivated in aquaculture system together with Ginseng Research Division at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, and secured technological advantage. We confirmed an increase in effective substances with skin benefits in the leaves of hydroponic ginseng (14-18%) compared to the roots of 5-year-old ginseng (2.7%). The hydroponic ginseng and its technology were applied to Sulwhasoo's Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream EX and is also used in Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum.
Ginseng aquaculture is an eco-friendly cultivation method that is in line with sustainable green growth management and can maximize customers' sense of security. There is also a potential to secure technology by increasing the content of rare saponin that differentiates hydroponic ginseng from ginseng grown outdoors or red ginseng. This can lead to securing ginseng cultivation technology unique to Amorepacific against competitors and move the hearts of customers.
Amorepacific has conducted joint research on the aboveground part of ginseng cultivated in aquaculture system together with Ginseng Research Division at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, and secured technological advantage. We confirmed an increase in effective substances with skin benefits in the leaves of hydroponic ginseng (14-18%) compared to the roots of 5-year-old ginseng (2.7%). The hydroponic ginseng and its technology were applied to Sulwhasoo's Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream EX and is also used in Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum.
Ginseng aquaculture is an eco-friendly cultivation method that is in line with sustainable green growth management and can maximize customers' sense of security. There is also a potential to secure technology by increasing the content of rare saponin that differentiates hydroponic ginseng from ginseng grown outdoors or red ginseng. This can lead to securing ginseng cultivation technology unique to Amorepacific against competitors and move the hearts of customers.
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Ginseng sprouts in aquaculture: ginseng can be grown without soil using culture medium. The technology, which complements the weaknesses of the previous outdoors cultivation, is gaining interest. (Source : Rural Development Administration)
Ginseng Cultivated Indoors 2 _ Explantation Technology
Can we only obtain the ingredients we need from the form of a plant body that has all roots, stem, and leaves? Unlike animals, plants have totipotency, an ability of a single cell to produce all the differentiated cells in an organism. In other words, instead of cultivating ginseng in soil over a long period of time, it is possible to grow and produce only the useful ingredients including ginsenosides in the form of a very small cell or root. This technology is called explantation. Also known as in vitro culture or plant tissue culture, using explantation can create the below various forms of ginseng embryoid bodies.
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3 types of ginseng embryoid bodies: ginseng cells, cultured roots and plant body can all be used to obtain good ingredients. (Source : self-produced)
Explantation technology is a technology that maximizes the plant's potential. The entire process is conducted under aseptic conditions with the environment completely controlled to produce ginseng of the same quality throughout the year without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizer. For example, extracting ginseng cells from the roots of a 5-year-old organically cultivated ginseng and growing them in a glass container called a bioreactor can proliferate the cells by more than 10 times within a short period of less than one month. This ginseng cell proliferates through cell division like Dolly the sheep. The characteristics of the 5-year-old ginseng roots are kept intact, while components such as ginsenosides accumulate within. Amorepacific is still in the early stages of research on ginseng cell culture and has to conduct more research in order to turn the cells into ingredients.
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Process of ginseng in vitro cell culture: inducing cell division inside a bioreactor after extracting ginseng cells results in cultivating cells that contain good components of ginseng intact. (Source : self-produced)
This column has shared with you the different names of ginseng according to plantation, its lifecycle, and advanced agricultural technologies to overcome the limitations in cultivation. All these efforts are efforts made to secure and obtain the good ingredients of ginseng. Our next edition will bring to you more information on ginseng as a material full of beneficial ingredients and the process of turning ginseng into cosmetic ingredient. Please wait for our next edition.
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