Post-harvest treatment of wild-simulated ginseng under climate-smart environmental conditions

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326237 June 18, 2025 1 / 6 OPEN ACCESS Citation: Kim S, Kim T, Kim J, Suh K (2025) Post-harvest treatment of wild-simulated ginseng under climate-smart environmental conditions. PLoS One 20(6): e0326237. https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326237 Editor: Chun-Hua Wang, Foshan University, CHINA Received: March 17, 2025 Accepted: May 27, 2025 Published: June 18, 2025 Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; therefore, we enable the publication of all of the content of peer review and author responses alongside final, published articles. The editorial history of this article is available here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0326237 Copyright: © 2025 Kim et al . This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. RESEARCH ARTICLE Post-harvest treatment of wild-simulated ginseng under climate-smart environmental conditions Solhee Kim 1, Taegon Kim 1,2, Jungyeon Kim 3,4*, Kyo Suh4,5* 1 Department of Smart Farm, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea, 2 Institute of Agricultural Science & Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea, 3 Institute of Food Industrialization, Institutes of Green Bioscience and Technology, Seoul National University, Gangwon-do,

Republic of Korea, 4 Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea, 5 Institute of Green Eco Engineering, Institutes of Green Bioscience and Technology, Seoul National University, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea * kyosuh@snu.ac.kr (KS); kim131812@snu.ac.kr (JK) Abstract Wild-simulated ginseng (WSG; Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is prized for its unique ginsenoside profile and medicinal properties; however, traditional cultivation faces challenges, such as declining survival rates and prolonged growth periods. We aimed to develop an enhanced post-harvest treatment using climate-smart conditions to improve survival rates, boost root mass, and preserve the characteristic ginsenoside profile of WSG. Three-year-old WSG roots were transplanted and cultivated in a con- trolled smart facility in regulated light and irrigation conditions for five months using premium ginseng soil, a certified organic ginseng soil medium. Growth performance was monitored and ginsenoside profiles were analysed via ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Post-treatment, WSG exhibited a 2.5-fold increase in root weight and an overall survival rate of 97%. Total ginsenoside content reached 10.458 mg/g dried ginseng, with notably high levels of Re (7.716 mg/g) and the presence of rare compounds, such as Compound K and Rg3. The root-to-shoot ratio exceeded 1.23, indicating efficient resource allocation. These results demonstrate that climate-smart post-harvest treatment effectively enhances root development and maintains the

medicinal quality of WSG, offering a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of conventional cultivation and improve its commercial viability. Introduction Wild-simulated ginseng (WSG; Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a perennial herb belonging to the family Araliaceae, naturally growing in East Asian mountain regions [1]. WSG cultivation requires natural mountainous areas without artificial facilities, such as shade structures, using direct seeding or transplanting of nursery plants without pesticides or chemical fertilizers [2]. Although genetically identical to conven- tional ginseng—which requires a six-year growth period and increased agricultural