Specialty crops including fruits, nuts, medicinal plants, and spices represent an important part of the world agricultural economy. Their value is driven not only by availability but also perceived quality as judged by wholesalers, processors, and end-users. In the case of spices and related essential oils, quality is driven by the composition of volatile and non-volatile phytochemicals. Genetic, ecological, and agronomic factors including water availability, elevation, and growing practices have been shown to impact the phytochemistry of specialty crops, but systemic investigations of the interaction between multiple factors have been limited to date. Further, since farmer health and economic resilience is driven by crop quality and productivity, a greater understanding of the factors that influence specialty crop quality can translate into strategies to improve farmer livelihood.
We propose to use cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) from Indonesia as a model specialty crop to evaluate the impact of genetic, environmental, and agronomic factors on quality-related phytochemicals composition, and to examine how this relationship translates to impacts on farmer health and economic resilience. To accomplish this goal, we will (Obj. 1) characterize the genetic diversity and phytochemical variation in clove samples from disparate locations in Indonesia and use a geographic information system (GIS) analysis to provide an initial characterization of agronomic factors important in clove production. We will also (Obj. 2) conduct a facilitated workshop in Indonesia with clove oil industry representatives, clove oil distillers, clove farmers, and academic specialists to identify potential factors influencing clove phytochemistry, areas of concern to the clove value chain, and a framework for the collection of clove samples and data on agronomic and farmer diet-related variables.
This proposal leverages the mission of the International Programs Office in the College of Agricultural Sciences at PSU and Global Penn State, as well as our nascent collaboration with PT Indesso Aroma (Indesso), the largest Indonesian clove oil producer. It is anticipated that the studies will result in novel baseline data about clove genetic and phytochemical variability and provide a framework for collaboration that can be used for future studies on cloves as well as other specialty crops.
Researchers
Caitlin Grady
