Info sought: Sinapsis alba

A correspondent seeks information on white mustard (Sinapis alba), especially inter-row and intra-row spacings for plants.

Info sought: Pongame oiltree (Millettia pinnata)

A correspondent seeks information on pongame oiltree (Millettia pinnata). Also known as pongamia (Pongamia pinnata).

Screening single plants of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

A student project conducted in 1995 at the University of Queensland Gatton in south-east Queensland, investigated whether the potential essential oil yield of a single tea tree plant could be screened easily in the field. The project investigated scoring and sampling procedures and the summary of the project included the following:
An Optomax image analysing system was used to score the distribution of oil gland sizes on the surface of Melaleuca alternifolia leaves.
Comparisons between different views on the same surface of a single leaf, between the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the same leaf, between leaves from the same quadrant of a tree, between different sections of the same tree, between leaves of different ages, between different sampling dates and between two different trees were used to characterise the oil gland distribution in trees. Chi-squared tests of homogeneity identified those factors responsible for heterogeneity in terms of oil gland size.
The recommended sampling procedure [for a single tree] would be to sample north and south quadrants of a tree to record two views along the adaxial surface of a mature leaf.
A single leaf extraction method was used to derive oil yields for a number of specially selected leaves. A significant positive relationship was found between the total area of oil glands of single leaves and their leaf oil yield. A similar result was found for the relationship between the number of large oil glands and leaf oil yield, on a single leaf basis.
There is potential for developing these findings further into a field technique based on routine scoring of large oil glands, using the magnification of a hand-held lens and the sampling procedure recommended.

Germplasm sought: Aquilaria agallocha

A germplasm source for Agarwood (Aquilaria agallocha) is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_A/Aquilaria_agallocha.htm

Germplasm sought: Veratrum californicum

A germplasm source for California false hellbore (Veratrum californicum) is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_V/Veratrum_californicum.htm
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=VECA2

Germplasm sought: Flowering quince

A germplasm source for Flowering quince (Chaenomeles x superba 'Crimson Gold') is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_C/Chaenomeles_superba.htm
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CHSU21

Germplasm sought: Dasylirion wheeleri

A germplasm source for common sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri ) is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_D/Dasylirion_wheeleri.htm
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DAWH2

Germplasm sought: yerba mansa

A germplasm source for yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_A/Anemopsis_californica.htm
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ANCA10

Germplasm sought: Jatropha curcas

A correspondent seeks a germplasm source and info on Barbados nut (Jatropha curcas).
Info: http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_J/Jatropha_curcas.htm
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JACU2

Germplasm sought: Parsonsia alboflavescens

A germplasm source for Parsonsia alboflavescens is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_P/Parsonsia_alboflavescens.htm

Germplasm sought: Pinus sibirica

A germplasm source for Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_P/Pinus_sibirica.htm http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PISI3

Germplasm sought: Phylica pubescens

A germplasm source for featherhead (Phylica pubescens) is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantnop/phylicpubes.htm

Germplasm sought: Brunia stokoei

A germplasm source for Rooistompie (Brunia stokoei) is sought by a correspondent.
Info: http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/brunstok.htm

Info sought: Cherry laurel

Info is sought on the factors affecting field performance of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus).

Info sought: Asparagus racemosus

Info is sought on the factors influencing field performance of Satavar (Asparagus racemosus).

Info sought: Elephantfoot yam

Info is sought on the factors influencing field performance of Elephantfoot yam (Amorphophallus paoeniifolius).

Info sought: Lixus in amaranth

Info is sought on the effects of Lixus spp weevils on amaranth (eg Amaranthus retroflexus).

Info sought: stress in black gram

Info is sought on the environmental stresses experienced by black gram (Vigna mungo).

Info sought: garlic growing

Assistance is sought with sourcing info re the contract growing of garlic in Australia.

Info sought: Rhodiola spp

Info is sought on the use of Rhodiola spp.

Info sought: Trachymene spp

Info is sought on the products traded from Trachymene spp.

Purpose

This blog is designed to provide information about the use and availability of new crops. It is also an opportunity to make requests about such information.

You are encouraged to first visit the Australian New Crops Website (ANCW, http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/) which provides (in The Listing of Interesting Plants of the World) lists of references and available addresses of authors, for more than 68,000 plant species.

Cheers
Rob Fletcher
Australian New Crops