Botany & plant sciences
December 1996
Essential Oil Crops
by Edward A Weiss
Plants producing an aromatic oil, fruit, or seed have been used in religious ceremonies, for personal use and adornment, and for flavouring throughout history. There is now also world-wide pressure by consumers to use perceived natural compounds in edible and personal products. It is vital that producers should be able to service this growing demand efficiently, economically and above all reliably. Many essential oil crops are part of the economy of countries with expanding populations, resulting in increasing pressure on land to produce food and fuel. It is thus important to ensure the optimum social and economic benefit from establishing and growing essential oil crops. This book is concerned with growing essential oil plants profitably to obtain an aromatic derivative. Each chapter covers a different family. A brief history of the use and economic development is given, and cultivation, harvesting and distilling described. Results of current research and recommendations for improved agronomic practices, together with methods of adding value to the crop, such as producing honey or processing the oil, are also discussed.
