Nettle: A promising alternative crop

It is one of the most common native plants found throughout Europe, but also Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. The reason for the nettle, the perennial, herbaceous plant that causes the discomfort known to all of us during contact. The scientific name of the plant itself (Urtica dioica L.) comes from the Latin verb “urere”, which literally translates as “to cause burning”.

However, as the professor of Agriculture and Biological Agriculture of the Agricultural University of Athens stated to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, Dr. Dimitrios Bilalis“what many are unaware of is that in addition to being an annoying weed that causes hives, it is also a promising alternative crop”.

Its cultivation for fiber production has been widespread in Europe since the Middle Ages, while one of the first reports of making nettle fabrics can be traced back to the Byzantine period. Countries such as Germany and Austria were traditional powers in the production of textiles with the plant in question as raw material. “A turning point for its cultivation was World War I, when German soldiers’ clothing was based on nettle fabrics due to cotton tariffssaid Mr. Bilalis. In Greece nettles, like flax and hemp, were cultivated for the production of cloth, rope, and paper, but over time the cultivation of cotton displaced them.

The plant is also characterized by high nutritional value as it is an excellent source of vitamins, antioxidants and trace elements. According to research, the consumption of nettle can help in the treatment of many diseases, among them sugar, allergies, respiratory problems and prostate diseases.

Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in nettle cultivation within the European Union. “The European Green Deal and “Farm 2 Fork” aim to reduce losses from fertilizer use by 50% by 2030. Alternative crops with reduced fertilizer needs, such as nettle, could facilitate the achievement of these goals.” pointed out Mr. Bilalis, adding that “in addition, we must also consider the climate crisis and the degradation of soils that force us to turn to crops with greater adaptability and resistance to extreme climate changes. Moreover, for this reason, nettle cultivation was also included in the special green action to support producers for the introduction of innovative crops».

In our country, the yield of the crop in fiber can range close to 150 kg / hectare. Speaking to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, the PhD candidate, Mavroidis Antonios, emphasized that “our literature suggests that yields of the order of 200 kg/acre are possible, and in fact with the application of relatively low levels of fertilization” and added that “our goal is to succeed in improving the crop as a whole and ensure the consistent production of high quality fiber. That is why we study the interaction between plantation density, fertilization, final fiber yields, and fiber quality characteristics».

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