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.Dr Lee Peterson, of Essential Oils of Tasmania, presented the following résumé of the activities of the company to the Australian Essential Oil Industry: Future Directions Workshop , held on 14-15 June 1995 in Hobart. This meeting was sponsored by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and convened by the Essential Oils of Tasmania Company (EOT). The aim of the meeting was to review past experience with the development of several essential oil crops in Australia and plan for future development. There will be a report of the outcomes of the meeting, published by RIRDC.
Peppermint
Production of peppermint oil is limited to Tasmania and Victoria: the 42° latitude in Tasmania produces the long days and low night temperatures necessary for quality peppermint oil and the high altitudes in the north-east of Victoria also provide these conditions. Between Tasmania and Victoria, 22 tonnes of peppermint oil was produced in 1994-95, with a value of more than $1 million. This represents approximately 0.1% of the world production of peppermint oil.
Both areas are able to expand, with Victorian producers targeting US market share and Tasmanian producers targeting lower volume niche markets. The limiting factors for expansion will be long-term price stability and improved grower returns through stable yields.
Consistent quality of peppermint oil is important, requiring attention to detail with growing, harvesting and processing. Major problems limiting production currently include: growth rates, pests and disease (principally the control of rust; pesticide use is effective but adherence to withholding periods and recommended rates is essential), appropriate irrigation and nutrition regimes, harvesting, distillation and transport infrastructure and the integration of yield and processing factors to minimise costs.
Considerable scope still exists to improve production through more applied regional research.
Boronia
Traditionally, the main supplier of boronia has been Keith Harris and Co., predominantly from hand-picked wild flowers. In Tasmania, boronia has been developed, over the past 18 years, as an intensive horticultural crop. There has been slow progress to the current production, valued at $1 million (1994-95).
The research and development program has concentrated on adapting the growth habit of a native plant to intensive row cropping for mechanical harvesting. Commercial propagation of plants is now well developed and systems can now be put in place to produce up to 500,000 plants per annum as speedlings (rapidly propagated seedlings). As well, mechanical transplantation of speedlings, specialist machinery for low rate precision fertiliser application and for pruning, development of a tractor mounted harvesting unit and materials handling systems to optimise freight handling, cooling and storage before processing have been necessary.
As well as the unique harvesting developments, specialist extraction procedures have been developed.
Major expenditure has been necessary by EOT and growers to commercialise the research findings and some very expensive failures have occurred along the way. Further research is being undertaken on irrigation and nutrition and commercial extraction procedures.
The EOT company also exclusively markets New Zealand boronia production and is working closely with New Zealand researchers and growers to ensure that the New Zealand product meets required standards.
Fennel/Anethole
Tasmanian production of anethole peaked at a value of $1 million in 1992. This project was a joint venture with the Pernod Ricard Company, commencing in 1982. Competition from anethole extracted from Star Anise in China has caused the Tasmanian industry to halve in value in 1995. Approximately 30 percent of the current production is for the fennel oil market, and the future of this crop will depend on this market. Many improvements have been made through breeding and harvesting techniques in Tasmania, but this has not enabled Australian production to compete against the Chinese.
Dill
Production of high carvone dill oil commenced in Tasmania on a large commercial scale in 1990. Small quantities of low carvone oil had been produced since 1982. Many difficulties were encountered in obtaining a high quality product that could be differentiated from the major dill weed producers in Europe and Russia. Techniques developed for fennel were utilised but subtle modifications were necessary and the timing of harvest was critical for high carvone content. Environmental effects influence yield and quality. Trial areas of dill were grown in the Bendigo and Echuca areas in Victoria in 1995 and results are encouraging.
EOT has also embarked on a joint arrangement with New Zealand interests for dill production on the Canterbury Plains. This production area produced some high quality oils in 1995 and is progressing well under the guidance of Crop and Food Research and Cropmark, a seed co-operative, both liaising with the company.
For crops such as fennel and dill to be commercially viable, adaptation and utilisation of existing infrastructures, and integration with other essential oil crops is necessary.
Capital expenditure required for any of these crops as a stand-alone industry is so great that the industries by themselves are not viable; in other words, the future success of new essential oil crops will depend on them being developed in association with those already functioning profitably.
Parsley
Parsley production in Tasmania is comparatively small, relative to the sizes of the other essential oil industries in the state. However, relative to the world market, production is significant. Three types of oil are produced from the leaf, the herb and the seed. This product emphasises the importance of flexibility in production to accommodate customer needs. Very specific varieties are also in demand in the market and the ability to hold stock is paramount with this product.
Blackcurrant Bud
Traditional production areas are France and Poland and production is an adjunct to fruit production.
Harvesting has traditionally been labour intensive. In Tasmania, the plants are planted in a high density configuration for mechanical harvesting of buds. Maintenance of optimum density has required the development of scalping techniques. Control of septoria leaf spot and two-spotted mite has been more difficult with the closed canopy design. The original product developed in Tasmania was different from the French product but EOT is now releasing a second product from blackcurrant buds targeting the traditional market.
Lavender
The main production of lavender comes from the Bridestowe Estate in NE Tasmania. Bridestowe has been producing a high quality oil from selected strains of Lavendula angustifolia for over fifty years (refer to the article on Tim Denny in the Australian New Crops Newsletter Issue No. 3:9). There is currently considerable interest in lavender for oil production with new operations commencing in Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. For lavender production to be viable the Bridestowe model has shown that tourism is important for success.
Spearmint
The volumes of spearmint produced in Australia are quite small with Tasmania and Victoria the only two major producers. The Tasmanian production is from native spearmint whilst a number of different varieties have been trialed in Victoria.
Clary Sage
Small-scale clary sage production has been underway in Tasmania for the last five years with both the steam distilled oil and solvent extracted sclareole being produced. The major problems limiting increased production of sclareole are the large amounts of herbage that have to be transported and processed quickly and the capital necessary for refining pure sclareole. At present, production has been limited to the steam distilled oil.
Onion Oil
This is a new development by Vecon Onion Oil, with contributions from the University of Tasmania and RIRDC. The aim of the project is to process waste onions from the Tasmanian onion industry to produce a high value product. Due to the nature of the oil, dedicated plant and equipment are required.
Mountain Pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata)
This is a solvent extract from a Tasmanian native which has interest for its source of polygodials and is a new product recently released by the EOT company. At present, production is from native stands but research is presently underway to select high yielding variants with the aim of developing purpose plantations for oil production. An adjunct to this operation is the increased interest in mountain pepper as a dried herb for bushfood.
Other Tasmanian Natives
The next most promising native is Olearia phlogopappa or dusty daisy bush. The first commercial samples from this plant are presently being evaluated in the market place.
The Tasmanian Experience with Essential Oils
On-farm acceptance of such crops has been difficult and grower education is a major factor in success when introducing new essential oil crops. Initially, essential oil crops, and in particular peppermint, were promoted in the southern parts of Tasmania since there were fewer opportunities for cropping in these areas. Most of the major processing firms were based in the north-west and north-east of the state. The production base has now shifted towards the north where grower experience in irrigated cropping is greater.
In general, if the introduction of a new industry is to be attempted, then the most appropriate, adept grower base should be sought.
Initially the EOT company was formed to market essential oils produced in Tasmania. For any essential oil industry to be successful, a fully integrated approach is necessary. EOT is now a production-based company that controls plant stocks, selects growers and sites, manages planting, harvesting and processing, provides crop management recommendations, conducts all quality control procedures, blends, packaging and markets the product.
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[
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