Introduction is one of the most ancient steps in the history of agriculture. There are several reasons while it became an emphasised feature in medicinal plant production recently: increased demand for more and higher quality drugs, protection of natural habitats, cultivation efforts of non-indigenous species, decrease of labour, offering alternative crops to the ones being in over-production in developed countries.

Strategy of introduction of medicinal plants into the agriculture includes clearing up the genetical, physiological, chemical bases of drug production as well as its ecological and economical optimisation. One of the basic tasks is the selection of proper biological stock for getting the desired amount and composition of effective materials. During breeding of wild growing species the high genetical variability assures quick results even by simply selection. However, genetical background is realised in the agrar-ecosystem. Therefore effect and possibilities of modification of each ecological factor should be well defined. The most important ones (physical and chemical characteristics of the soil, amount and distribution of precipitation, marginal values and sum of temperature, volume and length of illumination) determine growth, life cycle, yield, and active agent content.

In development of production technology solution of effective propagation either by seed or by vegetative or special organs, plant protection including weed control and optimisation of harvesting may cause special difficulties.

The lecture deals with the general problems by giving several examples from the practice (e.g. Hypericum perforatum, Hyppophoae rhamnoides, Oenothera biennis, Equisetum arvense) and presents also some "success stories" (Ginseng, Taxus, etc.).