Presentation Title
Essential Oil Production: Mint and Lavender Variety Trials in Upstate New York
Abstract
With the ever changing climate, farmers are constantly looking for ways to strengthen the economic and environmental sustainability of their farms. One way to do this is through diversification. In Upstate New York, high value crops such as mint and lavender essential herbs thrive in opposite conditions, insuring at least one of them will thrive should extreme weather (flood/drought) occur. This project explores winter hardiness, plant yield, oil yield, oil quality, and pests of different varieties of lavender, spearmint, and peppermint. Using this information, farmers can make better informed decisions about which varieties to plant, depending on what they want to use the plant for (cut flower, oil, etc.).
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Don Ross
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Dr. Lily Calderwood (Collaborating Mentor)
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Program/Major
Environmental Sciences
Primary Research Category
Food & Environment Studies
Essential Oil Production: Mint and Lavender Variety Trials in Upstate New York
With the ever changing climate, farmers are constantly looking for ways to strengthen the economic and environmental sustainability of their farms. One way to do this is through diversification. In Upstate New York, high value crops such as mint and lavender essential herbs thrive in opposite conditions, insuring at least one of them will thrive should extreme weather (flood/drought) occur. This project explores winter hardiness, plant yield, oil yield, oil quality, and pests of different varieties of lavender, spearmint, and peppermint. Using this information, farmers can make better informed decisions about which varieties to plant, depending on what they want to use the plant for (cut flower, oil, etc.).