Soil Cultivation of Edible Flowers
摘要
Edible flowers are now quite popular and their use is common in all the continents with some differentiations. In some countries the use is traditional but in some others is emerging. There are peculiar systems to provide fresh material depending on the market claim and on the type of species and the season. Many species of edible flowers are produced as vegetables since years or are MAPs (Medicinal and aromatic plants) or, again, they are species with industrial uses for transformed products as liqueurs, teas, jams, and others. They have standardized production protocols that can change according to the country of production or the final product. In this chapter the theme of the new flowers considered as “edible” are taken into consideration; they follow strictly the rules for food cultivation and the new orientation of the social and environmental approach of the sustainability of the land use. Owing to their emerging value, up to now the land used by farmers to grow edible flowers is often a remaining strip of other agricultural crops, usually vegetables or fruits or aromatic plants. Through edible flower cultivation, the growers optimize land use, both in a greenhouse and out in the field. The focal point is the reduced or absent use of non-organic pesticides. Instead, edible flowers should be grown organically to maintain high sanitary and nutritional value combined with the aesthetic requirements. In this chapter the needs and systems to grow edible flowers are described and discussed together with some specific examples.