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 <div class="title"><h3>5.24 -Adopting lavender as a cash crop to combat drought for subsistence farmers</h3><br><h3 class="ch-owner"> Makayla Giles,   University of Guelph, Canada </h3></div>
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<p>Suggested citation for this chapter.</p>
<p>Giles,M. (2022) Adopting lavender as a cash crop to combat drought for subsistence farmers, In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org</p>
       <h3 class="title-bg">Background: Lavender and how it combats drought</h3>
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          <p>Climate change is a relevant and very important issue when considering the success of agriculture. The impacts on the environment are substantial enough that farmers around the world are being affected. However, subsistence farmers in developing countries are the most affected (Morton, 2017). These farms are typically affected the most because of their location (subtropics), demographics and socioeconomic status (Morton, 2017). Different approaches can be taken to ensure that the money and time put into the crops is not wasted. Crops that can do well in dryer soils, hotter climates and that can be managed by smallholder farmers are the ones that need to be researched and grown. Lavender could be used as a cash crop for subsistence farmers because of its ability to grow in dry, sloped and temperate climates (Reddy, 2018). These conditions satisfy many problems that smallholder farmers face when dealing with climate change.</p>  
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Crop Details</h3>
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<p>Lavender is a crop that can be grown in regions that suffer the most from climate change and overall poor conditions that most crops fail in (Nogués and Alegre, 2002). This crop can be grown in mountainous ranges with a low annual rainfall between 300 to 1400 millimeters (DAF of South Africa, 2009). It is actually observed that high amounts of rain induce root rot (Alvarez et al., 2007). However, during crucial growing stages, irrigation needs to be provided if only extremely low amounts of rainfall are available (Reddy, 2018). Research shows that higher yields are seen at higher altitudes, between 700 to 1000 meters above sea level, because the plants tend to flower more in cooler climates (DAF of South Africa, 2009). Lavender crops also tend to do best in temperate climates as long as there is no humidity (Reddy, 2018). Exact temperatures cannot be determined because of the wide range in varieties that each do best in specific microclimates (DAF of South Africa, 2009).  One crucial condition that enables lavender to be a successful cash crop despite climate change is its need for dry, light and airy soil. This characteristic allows subsistence farmers to make money from dry, sloped land that is not suitable for food crops. The soil pH should be between 5.8 and 8.3, and low fertility soils are usable. Lavender should be planted as soon as the threat of frost is gone, and in cooler climates the plants can even be planted in autumn (Crummitt and Drost, 2012). The plants will establish themselves before winter and can start growing as soon as spring starts, however, areas with extremely cold winters have to plant in the spring, otherwise they will die throughout the winter cold (Crummitt and Drost, 2012). A well looked after plantation can be harvested after 2 years but the plants can live for 10 to 15 years if managed properly (DAF of South America, 2009). Too much fertilizer will negatively impact the soil and increase weed competition, therefore the suggested nitrogen rate is 80 kg/ha and should be applied three to four times throughout the growing season. Other soil additives like lime to increase pH, phosphorus or potassium might be necessary depending on the location but a soil analysis would need to be conducted. To protect the crop against weeds, hand hoeing or mechanical cultivation is suggested, however there are some other steps that can be taken to reduce weeds like mulching, drip irrigation and formation of a canopy by increased plant density (DAF of South Africa, 2009). To maintain the crop, the farmer would need to prune the plants once a year to get rid of old growth, however there is not a large amount of additional labour required (Crummitt and Drost, 2012).</p> 

<p>The initial step to start a lavender crop is to take rooted cuttings from a healthy mother plant (Reddy, 2018). To do this, 10-15 cm should be cut from the young top shoots of the plant and then half of that cutting should go into soil that is approximately 30% manure and 70% fine sand. To allow for adequate air flow around plants, there should be four feet between rows and between 30-40 cm inside rows (Reddy, 2018).</p>  
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Market</h3>
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<p>It is important to understand the market of a crop, so appropriate retail prices are established. The EU market for lavender oils has some variance depending on the variety (International Trade Centre, 2014). In 2014, French lavender oils retailed at €108/kg, English lavender oil at €144/kg and Bulgaria lavender oil at €96/kg (International Trade Centre, 2014). In middle-to-low income countries like Turkey, the essential oil market is very promising because of its low production costs and high profit rates, making lavender crops a viable option for subsistence farmers (Giray, 2018).</p> 
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Further Processing</h3>
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<p>Special equipment is only needed if the producer wants to make their own oils. This process requires a steam distillation machine which varies in price depending on size (Zheljazkov et al.,2013). To own this machine, the farmer would also need a barn or another area to keep it out of the weather. However, these machines are potentially affordable at the village level or for farmer cooperatives.  Sources and cost of this equipment are below.</p> 
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Uses</h3>
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<p>Smallholder farmers are able to adopt lavender as a cash crop because of its versatility. It can be sold in farmer’s markets, used in medicine, for fragrance, aid with sleep and even for culinary purposes (Adam, 2006). These many uses can be used as a marketing strategy for the farmers along with the fact that in many developing countries, there is a lack of established healthcare systems which means many locals could benefit from its medicinal abilities (Koulivand et al., 2013).</p> 
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Yield and Profit</h3>
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<p>One acre of true lavender produces between 300 to 1800 pounds of dried lavender from which 12-15 pounds of essential oil can be extracted (Adam, 2006). However, one acre of lavender cultivars can produce between 3500 to 4500 pounds of dried flowers, leading to 53-67 pounds of essential oil (Adam, 2006). Therefore, it is important to choose the proper variety when planting. If the government could help financially, profits would dramatically increase (Gul et al., 2017). However, a complete cost analysis was done for smallholder farmers in Turkey, and it found that lavender production was an important alternative source of income with a net profit of $1018.37 ha-1 (Gul et al., 2017). This market is ideal for smallholder farmers because the plant parts needed for oil extraction are typically from small scale farms (Barbieri and Borsotto, 2018). In developing countries, small to medium scale farmers can sell their lavender in bunches or as other products such as oils or lotions (Adam, 2006). These products are typically sold at farmers markets or grocery stores. However, most lavender farmers use multiple marketing platforms to distribute and sell their products (Adam, 2016). Provided below is a link to additional information regarding the exportation of lavender to Europe. This would be a realistic idea at the community level or for women farmer co-operatives because much larger volumes would be needed.</p> 
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Achieving Supply</h3>
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<p>Lavender can be grown from seed; however, they first have to be planted in trays and watered frequently (Crummitt and Drost, 2012). Most commercially grown lavender is started from cuttings. The best way to achieve a supply is to buy lavender plugs or take cuttings from a pre-existing mature plant to propagate (Crummitt and Drost, 2012). Once grown and harvested, the flowers need to be stored in the shade (DAF of South Africa, 2009).</p> 
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Potential Problems</h3>
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<p>A problem that could arise when trying to start a lavender crop is growing the wrong variety in certain climates. For example, planting a dry variety where it is too humid would lead to rotting (Crummitt and Drost, 2012). This crop is also inappropriate to plant where there is good quality, arable land. In this case, this land is better suited for food production. Another common issue is the need for special equipment if the farmer wants to produce and sell the oils. This decision leads to increased profits in the long run but is costly to start up. It would be crucial for women to form cooperatives and village level distillation practices to purchase the necessary machinery (Singh and Dhillon, 2017). This way they could not only work together to buy the equipment but to grow, steam and sell the product as well. A joint effort is needed for the farmers to achieve an outcome that is to scale with demand, and make a profit that is worth the effort (Singh and Dhillon, 2017).</p> 
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       <h3 class="title-bg">A Helpful Hint</h3>
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<p>Before considering to plant this crop, it is crucial to understand the microclimate and soil conditions in the area where planting. To ensure quality growth, proper fertilizer and irrigation levels need to be monitored. A helpful hint to get started is to have a soil test done ahead of time to understand if any further steps need to be taken.</p>
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Additional Readings and Links</h3>
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<p>The following links are manuals and step by step growing and cultivation instructions: https://www.nda.agric.za/docs/brochures/essoilslavender.pdf https://www.agrifarming.in/lavender-cultivation-practices-india 
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1300&context=extension_curall</p>

<p>The following link provides information about exporting lavender to Europe:
https://www.cbi.eu/node/2533/pdf/</p>

<p>The following are links to find essential oil distillation machines at various prices: https://www.alibaba.com/productdetail/20LFactoryPriceSteamDistillationEquipment_60839589138.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.1.370d590azJXiL3 and https://www.alibaba.com/productdetail/globalessentialoilsteamdistillationequipment_60559588537.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.45.370d590azJXiL3&s=p</p>

<p>The following links are for companies that sells lavender seeds and plugs: http://www.lavendersa.co.za/index.html
https://dir.indiamart.com/search.mp?ss=lavender+seeds&prdsrc=1&search_type=p
https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=lavender+seeds&viewtype=&tab=</p>

<p>Follow this link to ensure the land is suitable for the production of lavender: https://www.nda.agric.za/docs/brochures/essoilslavender.pdf</p>
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       <h3 class="title-bg">References </h3>
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<p>1.	Adam, K. L. (2006). Lavender Production, Products, Markets, and Entertainment Farms. ATTRA, USA. Retrieved from https://www.wnc.edu/files/departments/ce/sci/attralavender.pdf</p>

<p>2.	Álvarez, L.A., Pérez-Sierra, A., Armengol, J., and García-Jiménez, J.(2007). Characterization of Phytophthora nicotianae isolates causing collar and root rot of lavender and rosemary in Spain. Journal of Plant Pathology 89:261-264. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4454/jpp.v89i2.751</p>

<p>3.	Cinzia Barbieri and Patrizia Borsotto (2018). Essential Oils: Market and Legislation, Potential of Essential Oils, Hany A. El-Shemy, IntechOpen, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.77725. Available from: https://www.intechopen.com/books/potential-of-essential-oils/essential-oils-market-and-legislation</p>


<p>4.	Crummitt, K., and Drost, D. (2012). English Lavender in the Garden. Horticulture, Utah State University. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1300&context=extension_curall</p>

<p>5.	Exporting essential oils for aromatherapy to Europe. CBI, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.cbi.eu/node/2533/pdf/</p>

<p>6.	Giray, F.H. (2018). An Analysis of World Lavender Oil Markets and Lessons for Turkey. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plant, 21(6), 1612-1623. doi: 10.1080/09/0972060X.2019.1574612</p>

<p>7.	Gül, M., Kart, M. C. O., & Sirikci, B. S. (2016). Determining Costs and Profitability of Lavender Farms in Isparta Province of Turkey. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 19(3), 686–692. doi: 10.1080/0972060x.2014.971074</p>

<p>8.	Koulivand, P. H., Ghadiri, M. K., & Gorji, A. (2013). Lavender and the Nervous System. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med., 2013, 1-10, 681304. doi: 10.1155/2013/681304</p>

<p>9.	Morton, J. F. (2007). The impact of climate change on smallholder and subsistence agriculture. PNAS, 104(50), 19680–19685. doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701855104</p>

<p>10.	Nogués, S. and Alegre, L. (2002). An increase in water deficit has no impact on the photosynthetic capacity of field-grown Mediterranean plants. Functional Plant Biology, 29(5), 621-630. doi: 10.1071/PP01117</p>

<p>11.	Price Information: EU Markets. International Trade Centre. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracenorg/Content/Exporters/Market_Data_and_Information/Market_information/Market_Insider/Essential_Oils/Essential%20Oil%20Prices%202014-03-24.pdf</p>

<p>12.	Production Guidelines for Lavender. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of the Republic of South Africa. (2009). Retrieved from https://www.nda.agric.za/docs/brochures/essoilslavender.pdf</p> 

<p>13.	Reddy, J. (2018). Lavender Cultivation Practices In India. AgriFarming. Retrieved from https://www.agrifarming.in/lavender-cultivation-practices-india.</p>

<p>14.	Singh, S., & Dhillon, S. S. (2017). Socio-economic analysis of lavender crop in Himachal Pradesh. Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops, 26(1), 63–65. Retrieved from https://www-cabdirect-org.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/cabdirect/abstract/20173173290?q=(title:(Socio-economic analysis of lavender crop in Himachal Pradesh)</p> 

<p>15.	Zheljazkov, V.D., Cantrell, C.L., Astatkie, T., & Jeliazkova, E. (2013). Distillation time effect on lavender essential oil yield and composition. J Oleo Sci., 62(4), 195-9. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23535305</p>