Lavender for Fragrance
The global supply of high quality Lavender oil for use in toiletries and fragrances has been significantly diminished by loss of productive land in traditional growing areas to plant diseases and to urban sprawl. There are opportunities to develop new producton areas in regions where these problems are absent.
A small scale cultivar evaluation trial was planted in April 2009 at Omihi Rise, in the Omihi Valley of North Canterbury, New Zealand. Varieties were:
Oil samples were obtained from plant material harvested between 20th December 2009 and 20th January 2010. Flower heads were separated from stem material, and steam-distilled for periods previously shown to produce oil samples of optimum quality. On average, oil yields were 3% of plant fresh weight processed. Oil quality was considered satisfactory for such young plants.
In the following year, plant material was again harvested from the varieties listed. This time, two harvested were conducted: when approximately 1/3 of florets had begun to wither, and when 2/3 of florets had begun to wither. These harvest dates were approximately 1 week apart.
No consistent impact on quality or oil yield was observed. It was considered that changeable weather during the harvest period was the likely cause of the minor differences in oil quality seen.
Plant health remained satisfactory over the trial period, although one plant had to be removed and burnt due to an alfalfa mosaic virus infection.
Provided cooperative processing and marketing can be established, a 2 ha block in a part of a farm that is difficult to manage for larger-scale activities can produce enough oil to make a very useful contribution to farm profitability, and provide an employment opportunity for a family member when other farm operations are quiet.
Contact us for further details about this work
A small scale cultivar evaluation trial was planted in April 2009 at Omihi Rise, in the Omihi Valley of North Canterbury, New Zealand. Varieties were:
- Grosso
- Super C
- Avis Hill
- Pacific Blue
- Violet Intrigue
- Molten Silver
Oil samples were obtained from plant material harvested between 20th December 2009 and 20th January 2010. Flower heads were separated from stem material, and steam-distilled for periods previously shown to produce oil samples of optimum quality. On average, oil yields were 3% of plant fresh weight processed. Oil quality was considered satisfactory for such young plants.
In the following year, plant material was again harvested from the varieties listed. This time, two harvested were conducted: when approximately 1/3 of florets had begun to wither, and when 2/3 of florets had begun to wither. These harvest dates were approximately 1 week apart.
No consistent impact on quality or oil yield was observed. It was considered that changeable weather during the harvest period was the likely cause of the minor differences in oil quality seen.
Plant health remained satisfactory over the trial period, although one plant had to be removed and burnt due to an alfalfa mosaic virus infection.
Provided cooperative processing and marketing can be established, a 2 ha block in a part of a farm that is difficult to manage for larger-scale activities can produce enough oil to make a very useful contribution to farm profitability, and provide an employment opportunity for a family member when other farm operations are quiet.
Contact us for further details about this work
