Some things are predictable, some are less so. Since Christmas, the weather at Devereux farm has been characterised by regular nightly frosts – up to -5 deg C. This is a 100% reversal of our night weather in 2015/16. Then, following a sustained incredibly mild period the buds on the Devereux farm sea buckthorn plants started to spring to life on December 31st. The reversal to winter weather this year has had an impact on this particular Siberian variety (Klaudia), which possibly should be predictable. The first terminal buds on Klaudia emerged on January 20th 2017.
How this will effect the plants and their potential harvest we will have to wait and see, but each of our 10 different Siberian varieties are developing differently.
The current task is to complete pruning. This is a time consuming job. It can also be disheartening. Our field trials are indicating the importance of soil type. The trials were planted in four blocks – each with different planting parameters. The “A” rows, planted in 2012, cross over ground that used to grow a good crop of wild oat weeds when the field was used purely for arable cropping. This area specifically is proving to be a problem for the sea buckthorn. Rows A11-A15 have had considerable plant losses. This week I have had to cut out six plants in rows A14/A15 that are now maturing to large plants, but have died. After four years this is really frustrating. Even more so as there is little chance of finding out why the plants have died. These are individuals where adjacent plants are fit and healthy. I suspect it is a soil based problem. On Tuesday Ben and I are going to a day course on soil. This will present a chance to take a sample of the soil from around these dead plants and see if it is possible to identify a reason for losing these plants so dramatically.
Developing a depth of knowledge is what science is all about. I do not believe there is such a thing as constant fact, as new research keeps improving on understanding more about the world we live in. This week was highlighted by the publication of a piece of research in the journal “Trends in Food Science and Technology” published by Elsevier on the net.
Sea buckthorn as a natural berry has been accepted in traditional medicines as providing health benefits for centuries across northern Europe and Asia. Every year there are research papers published, but for these works to be accepted in European science journals they have to be of a high, peer reviewed standard. For health benefit research to be accepted as credible it needs to have been centred around working with human patients and with recognised methodology so it can be compared like with like with other studies.
This week an article in “Nutraingredients.com” covered a meta-analysis of over 3000 research papers, reducing down to 11 human studies. Meta-analyses is a comprehensive analysis of research papers to find comparisons that build evidence that there is a consistent result appearing across multiple pieces of research. This is often the first step when assessing whether larger specific studies are going to be worthwhile. In fact British Sea buckthorn sponsored just such an analysis undertaken by the Medical Research Council here in the UK in 2014. Funding research is never easy, particularly in niche fields of study. In Europe sea buckthorn is grown across Europe on a small scale compared with other fruit crops. Funding for research is competitive and available only where it will develop into large scale pharmaceutical benefit. Hence research is centred where there is a tradition of using the crop on a wider scale – China, Russia, India, with Germany and Scandinavia adding to the global pool of knowledge.
The research paper in question is entitled – “Effect of Sea buckthorn on blood lipid profiles: A systematic review and meta-analysis from 11 independent randomised controlled trials”. The work done by Xiao-fei Guo, Bo Yang, Wenwn Cai and Duo Li of Zhejiang University, China. With over 2 million hectares of sea buckthorn, china has a significant interest in sea buckthorn. Its traditional herbal medicine has used the plants for treatment of cardio vascular disease; burns, dry eye, inflammation, and promotion of tissue regeneration amongst others.
What has made this study important is the fact that it has centred on trials looking at 403 healthy subjects and 514 patients with conditions such as hypolipidaemia which can impact on cardio vascular diseases(CVD). It has highlighted connections which, similar to the MRC meta-analysis, indicate that sea buckthorn may impact on the risk of CVD. Having raised the potential possible outcome of taking sea buckthorn extracts/oils, it has to conclude however that these studies need to lead to a conclusive wider study to develop consistent extract quality, optimal dose and duration of course when taking a sea buckthorn supplement.
All this is helpful, and as my family take sea buckthorn we appreciate the benefits it brings. Sea buckthorn is not the only natural supplement that is caught in the catch 22 situation that to gain market recognition there needs to be full human clinical trials to be accepted, but until the market demands this there are no drivers for the research to be funded.
The fact that sea buckthorn has been used for centuries and continues to be so shows it has stood the test of time. There are other growers of sea buckthorn in the UK and interest is growing. Access to fresh berry will allow a better understanding of this unique fruit – so I look forward to the 2017 crop with ever greater excitement.