Rhubarb and relatives - The Manual of Seed Saving - page 194

DISEASES AND PESTS Buckwheat is not particularly susceptible to disease and is even grown conven-
tionally without plant-protection measures.
CULTIVATION HISTORY Buckwheat comes from southwest China, where it gradually spread from the
Himalayas. In Bhutan and Nepal, buckwheat is, along with the potato and barley, one of the most
widely grown field crops. It can even be grown at 10,000 ft. (3000 m). Many authors presume that
buckwheat was brought to eastern Europe with the Mongols in the 13th century. By the 16th century,
buckwheat had reached areas of Switzerland north of the Alps.
Because famines occurred time and again in Europe, the short-seasoned, easily cultivated buck-
wheat was eagerly welcomed there. It was cultivated in depleted soils instead of grain and also in
sandy or even acidic bogs. It also did well in the silicate soils of the valleys of eastern and southern
Switzerland. Buckwheat reached its peak cultivation in the 17th and 18th centuries, after which the
potato slowly pushed it into the background. In Slovenia, however, cultivation, breeding, and research
on buckwheat are still important industries. Since many secondary plant compounds can be extracted
from the leaves and seeds of buckwheat, the international pharmaceutical industry has recently taken
notice of the plant as well. Rutin, the most important of these phytochemicals, is being used to treat
venous diseases.
Buckwheat plants can carry seeds and flowers simultaneously.
RHUBARB
Rheum spp.