MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Middle Tennessee State University has broken ground on an initiative to grow ginseng at the school's experiential learning and research center in Lascassas.
The Daily News Journal reports MTSU and state officials planted the first ginseng seeds on Wednesday at the center, also known as the MTSU farm.
Growing the ginseng will be a collaboration involving the Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research, the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience and MTSU Farm Laboratories.
The botanical research center at MTSU and the Guangxi (gwahng-ZHEE') Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants in China are partners in a collaborative effort that seeks to accelerate the development of Western medicines from plant extracts.
Ginseng is used as a natural supplement or over-the-counter remedy to stimulate the immune system.