Cultivation of herbal plants as a method of management of wasteland

The cultivation of herbs in Poland is one of the newest sectors of plant production despite the centuries-old tradition of using herbs across the world. Contemporary herbal processing in Poland is primarily oriented to the production of herbal medicines, as in many other European countries. The cultivation, harvesting and processing of herbs in small and medium-sized farms require machinery and devices adjusted to the scale of production. The processing of herbal plants involves drying, which is one of the most important stages of herb preservation and the most energy-consuming process occurring in agricultural production. A comprehensive review is presented covering the various methods used in agriculture to preserve herbal plants and the classification of solar-energy and hot-air drying systems. In addition the paper presents examples of the development of solutions using low-temperature herb dryers appropriate to small and medium-sized farms.