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.It is perhaps surprising that there is considerable confusion in defining exactly what is meant by the term 'new crop'. The confusion tends to arise from differing ideas as to whether the term 'new' should refer only to the crop itself (that is, the species), to the product(s) being produced from the ,crop or to the technology or the location where it is being grown. The problem depends on whether the question is looked at from a producer's or a consumer's viewpoint.
Australian agriculture is almost entirely based on crops introduced from overseas. Much of the R and D necessary to establish these as commercial crops has involved adaptation of the species to local environment- through the development of adapted genotypes and appropriate agronomic practices. This category of 'new crop' R and D is still the most common type of new crop research undertaken by agricultural research organisations around the world. In this category the 'new' is used in the sense of being new to a country, state or region.
Other categories of new crop research include:
development of a new product from an established crop. Examples here include the recent commercial production of a high density plastic from castor oil and the production of sprouts from a number of legume species.
work to produce an established commercial product from a different crop species. An example would be the development of the technology to produce paper from the traditional plant fibre crops such as kenaf, abaca and sisal.
development of a crop completely new to commercial agriculture as a result of the domestication of a 'wild' species or the development of a new species. An example of the former is the work undertaken in the USA and Africa to develop Vernonia galamensis as a source of epoxy acid for use as a solvent in epoxy coatings and resins. An example of the latter is the development of triticale following the successful hybridisation of wheat and rye.
For simplicity, we define a 'crop' as any plant which currently or potentially has a commercial value. The term has been taken to embrace all plants used in agriculture, forestry, horticulture (both vegetables and flowers) and those occurring in natural ecosystems.
Any claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter
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[
New Crops Home Page] [New Crops Program] [Australian New Crops Newsletter] [New Crops Publications] [Order Form] [People] [Crop Profiles] [Other Resources]originally created by:
GK; latest update 6 June 1999 by: RF