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Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation
By C. M. Francis & M. C. Campbell
May 2003
RIRDC Publication No 03/045 RIRDC Project No UWA-47A
Executive Summary
RIRDC project UWA47 commencing in July 1998 to terminate Dec 2002, had as its initial focus; a) the leguminous oilseed Morama bean (Tylosema esculentum), native of Botswana, b) Niger or Noog (Guizotia abyssinica) the subtropical favored food oilseed of Ethiopia, and c) Crambe (Crambe abyssinica) also a native of Ethiopia, commercially produced in USA for use as an industrial lubricant. In the second year of the project the potential value of oilseeds rich in essential fatty acids: Stock (Matthiola incana), Borage (Borago officinalis) and Camelina sativa (Gold of pleasure), were included. As part of the essential fatty acid research a survey of the gamma linolenic acid content of locally adapted evening primrose (Oenothera spp.) relatives was initiated after discussion with the RIRDC Research Manager. .Control. species were expanded from canola to include condiment oil seeds: Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), Ethiopian mustard Brassica carinata and later linseed (Linum usitatissimum).
Plans to finish the project with tonne quantities of Camelina, Crambe and Niger, thus setting the path to the rapid development possible with oil seeds given their relatively low seeding rate requirements, received a setback with the severe drought in NSW and parts of SA scheduled for initial seed production. However Kg quantities are still on hand and new sowings planned for 2003 are to be coordinated by commercial partner Elders Ltd.
Being new species, germplasm acquisition and preliminary assessment have been an important part of the initial years of the project with 113 lines of Niger, 99 lines of Camelina, 32 Crambe, 39 stocks, 27 Boraginaceae and 15 lines of Evening primrose or its relatives now included in our collection. Most lines of Niger arose from a plant collection tour in Nepal in 1998 and the Camelina lines were largely supplied by the Vavilov Institute St Petersburg from their extensive oil seed collection. Niger lines have been lodged with the Australian Tropical Crops Genetic Resource Centre, Biloela, with others being forwarded to the ATFC collection at Horsham.
Camelina yielded approximately 1.7 tonnes per hectare and in general, yielded less than the Canola controls. This situation was reversed at Miling in 2000 and on sandy soils at Merredin in 2001 where it significantly outyielded Karoo canola. It is regarded as a low maintenance crop in Europe and appears adapted to low fertility situations. The relatively small seeds (approx.1000 per gram) contain up to 40% oil. The oil contains around 34 % Omega 3 fatty acids (Canola ca 9%) making it a very rich plant source of this essential fatty acid. Selection for oil content and level of Omega 3 was undertaken together with selection for lodging resistance. The pale straw colour of the oil makes any bleaching unnecessary and its apparent keeping quality enables cold pressed oil with a high Omega 3 content. This makes it a potentially attractive product. Unlike several countries in Europe where it is used in salad oils and margarines, it is not yet registered as food oil in Australia. Besides export, its immediate use may to be in skin health preparations where its pale colour and good emollient qualities make it a good basis for creams and lotions.
Crambe has been shown to be agronomically suited to South Western Australia and sufficient seed will be available by the end of the project for initial farm scale seed increase. The extent of the increase will however depend on a market for the specialty oil. Its early vigour made it more competitive with weeds than the other oil seed species in field trials. Yield and oil were comparable to those recorded in its main growing center in North Dakota USA. The best yield of hulled seed recorded was 3.1 t/ha with an oil content of the hulled seed of 30 %, which equates to a 50% content of dehulled seed. The oil consistently had an erucic acid content above 60 percent. These figures equate with USA data for the species. So far there are no quality or agronomic problems associated with its production at least in southern Australia. Further seed increase can be rapidly undertaken with commercial quantities available in 2 years but the future development depends on a market being established.
Niger is a tropical subtropical species. It is strongly crossed fertilised and requires bees for good seed production. It grows rapidly in spring and early summer in Perth but it is not well adapted to Mediterranean climates other than those relatively restricted warm climate areas, which would be essentially frost-free. Its place will be Northern NSW and Queensland or areas where summer irrigation is available. Lines of Ethiopian origin were taller and later in maturity but more tolerant of cool winters than the Nepal lines assessed during the project. The oil, typically around 38% of the seed, is an attractive pale yellow in colour. With a linoleic acid content of 79% it is very similar to sunflower oil and an attractive product. Whilst it has good oil quality, there is an immediate demand in the high priced birdseed market for export to USA. The very limited germplasm base of Niger in Australia has been substantially increased through a collection mission in Nepal and some direct introductions from market samples in Ethiopia. 20 kg of seed was made available for farmer assessment and seed increase in NSW under the supervision of commercial partner Elders Ltd. Drought conditions have forced a delay in this program till late 2002 .2003.
Morama, a native of Botswana where it is prized by people of the Kalahari desert for the protein and oil content of it very large seeds (20-30 gm), is successfully growing in Perth. Vegetative growth is very vigorous during the summer months arising from a massive underground tuber. Winter dormant, it is clearly tropical and under our summer conditions has yet to set seed. A promise of additional seed from Botswana following Ms Campbell.s visit in 1999 has not been forthcoming but it is yet possible seed will be produced from the plants growing locally.
Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) oil is widely marketed as a source of the essential fatty acid, gamma linolenic acid (GLA). Oenothera spp are naturalised and widespread in the Perth metropolitan area and 4 species were included in a survey from samples taken from Perth roadsides. They are well adapted to sandy soils, though to date under our hot summer conditions, the gamma linolenic acid content has, with the exception of one species generally been far less that the 9 percent claimed as a minimum standard for commercial evening primrose oils. Under Perth conditions O. biennis produced only 8 % GLA. One of the members of the evening primrose family naturalised in Western Australia and other states, Oenothera glazioviana (tall evening primrose) produced levels in bulk samples of up to 9 % GLA suggesting a program of single plant selection should yield GLA levels of the required standard. The tall species is biennial and flowers in midsummer. The fruits of all the Oenothera species shatter on maturity creating difficulties with seed harvest. In this respect .tall evening primrose. appears to have some advantage with the upright pods less prone to shedding seed on maturity. The species deserves further investigation as an alternative producer of Evening Primrose Oil.
Several members of the Boraginaceae (including Paterson.s Curse) have proven equal to or higher in gamma linolenic acid (GLA) than the traditional source marketed as evening primrose oil (ca 9 % GLA). Borage itself is in demand with some 40 tonnes of seed being sought in 2002. Borage grows vigorously and the seed contains 34 - 37 percent oil with 19 - 25% GLA in the oil. Its performance in yield trials was generally poor. Despite yielding 455 kg/ha at one site in 2001, yields on average were less than 200 kg/ha. Its propensity to shatter makes it a difficult plant to manage on a large scale at least with the lines at our disposal. Cooler conditions e.g. southern Victoria or Tasmania may reduce the shattering and combined with swathing could yield profitably. There is a good UK market and Borage oil is a well-established product marketed as Starflower oil. Less shattering lines as claimed in the UK would be an advantage.
The common garden stock (Matthiola incana) was unique in its high content (65 %) of Omega 3 fatty acids. A perennial, several naturalised lines have demonstrated ability to produce as an annual crop. Best of these is a line arising from a farmer.s property. This line .Frank Stone' is capable of setting seed in its first year of cultivation. The earliest maturing line LO 23, selected in Israel, performs as an annual under Perth conditions. A new line from Samos, besides its good seed set, has real potential as an ornamental plant with its attractive dual flower colour. The main disadvantages of the stocks however is their comparatively low content of oil in the seed (ca 22%) together with very slow early growth exposing them to weed competition. The harvesting technology also needs further development.
Marketing information was developed during the course of the project. Oil samples were prepared using a Komet oil expeller and visual and taste assessment carried out on the extruded oils. The clarity and pale straw colour of Camelina relative to Canola was noted and it appears well suited to the production of cold pressed unbleached health oils. The Niger oil was also of pale yellow colour and likewise would not require further bleaching. Taste panels reported favourably on the flavour both of Camelina and Noog oil. Oil samples were prepared for potential customers of the products.
RIRDC supported a visit by Ms Campbell to international marketing outlets for the alternative oil seed products, which included 3 UK companies Limagrain in France and Camelina Ltd in Finland. This was highly a successful adjunct to the research program in providing marking information and potential market outlets for the oils or seed resulting ultimately from the project. Seed and oil samples are to be forwarded to UK companies. During the course of this investigation and in queries to the USA, the potential of Golden flax and Echium in the health market became apparent and germplasm was accumulated in the final growing season of project UWA47A.
For the benefit of potential growers, agronomic recommendations for Camelina, Crambe and Niger, together with alternative chemicals for weed and insect control have been included in Appendix 2.
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