Camellia oil a new crop

Camellia oil is a heart-healthy edible oil that may also have uses for production of biodiesel fuel and animal feed. A UGA horticulture program is investigating the potential of this new crop in the Southeast. The scientists envision growing tea oil camellia in orchards similar to the way blueberries are grown. Plants bloom in the fall and the fruit is harvested the following October. It may be possible to use blueberry pickers or similar equipment to mechanize harvesting. The fruit is allowed to dry and the seeds are removed for extraction of the oil. Tea oil camellias are tolerant of a wide range of soil types and do well on upland sites which support traditional tree or row crops. UGA horticulturists initiated research in 1999 to develop Camellia oleifera as a commercial oilseed crop in the Southeast. Seedlings have been planted at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus. Plants will be evaluated for several years and selections will be made for oil production and quality, disease and insect resistance, flowering and fruiting dates, ease of harvest and growth characteristics. Tea oil camellia has potential to be grown from coastal North Carolina to eastern Texas. While the horticulturists are still several years away from releasing cultivars, they hope to put out replicated field trials within the next few years. Research collaborations are being initiated to evaluate the properties of tea oil from camellias and to look at additional uses for this new crop. Companies in Australia, China, California and Minnesota are interested in the work.