Abstract: Field plot trials involving 4 soil conditions (sand, upland soil, paddy soil and brown calcareous soil) were conducted under fertilized and un-fertilized conditions. Then the effect of soil conditions on the growth, biomass allocation and artemisinin content of Artemisia annua were investigated. The results showed that, A.annua could adequately acclimate to different soil conditions. It could grow and develop in sand, upland soil, paddy soil and brown calcareous soil, and respond to heterogeneity soil nutrient availability by adusting biomass partitioning to various organs. Under the low soil nutrient level, A.annua allocated more biomass to root, and its root mass fraction and root mass/crown mass were significantly increased. Under the high soil nutrient level, it allocated more biomass to leaf, and its leaf mass fraction was significantly increased. The growth and artemisinin content of A.annua were affected significantly by soil nutrient. Under un-fertilized condition, the height, basal diameter, total biomass, leaf biomass and artemisinin content of A.annua planted in paddy soil and calcareous soil were significantly higher than those planted in upland soil and sand, and the parameters presented above were significantly higher in upland soil than in sand. Whereas those parameters were not significantly different among soil conditions under fertilized condition, and those parameters were significantly higher than those under un-fertilized condition. Consequently, it can gain high artemisinin yield through suitable fertilizing.

Key words: soil conditions, biomass allocation, Artemisinin content, Artemisia annua L.