Rhodiola rosea also called Golden Root or Roseroot is an adaptogenic medicinal plant from alpin and artic area that is known to reduce stress, trauma, anxiety and fatique. The main active compounds are considered to be salidroside and the Rhodiola-specific rosavins (rosin, rosavin and rosarin). The slow growth of this plant (5-6 years of cultivation), the exploitation of the roots (destructive) and the dioecious character explain the difficulty of cultivating this Crassulacea. This perennial plant grows in the subalpine-alpine zone of the Swiss Alps. While commercial interest in the roots of these plants is growing, and the main source of supply for commercial extracts is wild harvests (Altaj Mountains), Agroscope launched a domestication programme in Switzerland in 2005 [1]. A survey of Rhodiola rosea in the Swiss Alps was carried out to define the variability and breeding potential of this indigenous genetics [2]. Five Rhodiola swiss populations were prospected. The best plants were then selected and a polycross was performed to produce seeds of “Mattmark”, the first synthetic cultivar of Rhodiola rosea [3]. This variety has now been grown for around ten years in Switzerland and abroad, providing valuable data on the development potential of this new crop.
