NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the
Advice on Publications Available.[A contribution to the New Crops LISTSERV by Dirk Enneking
Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA)
University of Western Australia, Nedlands WA 6907
Telephone: 08 9380 1431
Facsimile: 08 9380 1140
Email: enneking@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Web Site: http://www.general.uwa. edu.au/u/enneking/home.html]
Argan is a medium, thorny, evergreen tree native to south western Morocco. The tree bears plum-sized fruits, which are eaten by goats which can climb the trees.
The fruits have a bitter pericarp around a stone-like structure, containing one to three kernels with a high oil content (over 50%). The oil has high dietetic value, total unsaturated fatty acids/total saturated fatty acids being around 4.5:1, a ratio similar to that of olive oil. The oil has a unique aroma and is considered as the best culinary oil by Moroccans, who are the only people familiar with the oil.
In Israel, where 600,000 immigrants from Morocco reside, imported argan oil is sold for $US35/litre in comparison with $4/litre for olive oil. Attempts to domesticate this wild tree in Israel started about 10 years ago.
The species demonstrated adaptability to the hot hostile environment of the Arava valley. When irrigated with brackish water, yields of oil per tree at Qetura were double those at Ramat Negev, which has much milder environmental conditions. The oil yield of the best specimens was around 1 kg/tree per year.
Some seedlings died as a result of infection with Fusarium oxysporum. Until tolerant rootstocks can be found, grafted trees are planted from the best yielding ones and seedlings have been sourced from various habitats in Morocco.
This species is considered to be a high-priority species because of its rarity and the high demand in Israel for its oil.
Mizrahi, Y. and Nerd, A. (1996). New crops as a possible solution to the troubled Israeli export market. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds). Progress in New Crops: Proceedings of the Third National New Crops Symposium. American Society of Horticultural Sciences. p. 56-64.
Information is also available at:
http://www.bgu.ac.il/life/mizrahi/Indianapolis.html
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Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email:
r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au[
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