Azolla can be used for many applications. The high protein percentage, the amino acid composition and the fatty acid profile make Azolla suitable for:

• he protein market (animal feed and in the future possibly as a meat substitute for human consumption) 

• Biodiesel

• Painting

• Bio-plastics

• Caffeic acid

• Specific functional proteins

Protein Market: Human & Animal nutrition 

The protein percentage of Azolla is over 20% and has an amino acid pattern suitable for the diet of humans, pigs and fish xxxvii. Azolla can be used in animal feed processed as roughage or liquid feed for cattle and pigs. This is already being applied abroad. In dried form, Azolla can also have use in the compound feed industry. When high-quality proteins are extracted, they retain their shape and thus their stabilizing, emulsifying, foaming and gelling properties. It is important that the extraction process is designed in such a way that the protein remains in its original form and nottakes on a different structure, clumps or disintegrates xl. The extracted proteins are subsequently applicable in many different ways. In human food these can be used as a meat substitute, in sports drinks, sauces, dressing and diet food. The functional proteins of Azolla can be used in the industry in cosmetics, adhesives and paint industry. At present, the protein extraction technique for Azolla is premature. 

According to researchers Paul Brouwer (University of Utrecht, The Netherlands) and Adrie van der Werf (Wageningen University, The Netherlands), this will be possible in a few years. Within the EU legislation and regulations, it is currently not allowed to use Azolla for animal feed or human food. It is already allowed in the US. For Duckweed, a comparable water crop, a process has now started with bacteriological and toxicological testing for authorization for human applications in the EU. That will prepare the way for application of Azolla.

Biodiesel

Based on the fatty acid profile, Azolla is suitable as biodiesel. The biodiesel complies with the NEN14214 standard. This means that it meets the required energy density, cetane values ​​and iodine values xli. The cold filter plugging point (this is the lowest temperature below which diesel can be used as fuel) is relatively high due to some specific ingredients. In order to produce high-quality biodiesel from Azolla, an extra processing step, fractionation, is therefore required to remove these substances. Based on one hectare of open cultivation system in the Netherlands, based on the lipid concentration, it is estimated that approximately 600 to 800 liters of biodiesel can be produced. This quantity cannot compete directly with biodiesel made from palm oil, for example, but through cascading of extractions, in which various components are subsequently refined from the biomass, this may be an attractive application in the long term.

Other applications

Azolla is used for bioremediation and water purification xliii. This means that Azolla is used to filter heavy metals and / or nutrients from water. Trials show that Azolla can absorb more than 100 kg P per hectare per year. This property makes Azolla cultivation an interesting eco-tool for water managers, because it can reduce the phosphate load in effluent or surface water and thus contribute to the prevention of blue-green algae blooms and the achievement of WFD targets. For nature development on former agricultural land, azola cultivation offers the opportunity to quickly and effectively mine phosphate. For nature objectives, the high phosphate concentrations after wetting agricultural soils are an important bottleneck for a successful recovery. Regular clearing takes place by sowing grass-clover mixtures and mowing and removing the biomass. This means that 30-40 kg P per hectare per year can be removed. With Azolla cultivation as a form of 'wet extraction', this process can be 3 to 4 times faster, because Azolla can absorb more than 100 kg P per growing season. Because Azolla is able to fix atmospheric nitrogen, Azolla can be used as fertilizer. Rice farmers in China, India and Vietnam use Azolla as fertilizer xliv, xlv, xlvi, xlvii. In the Middle East, Azolla is composted and good results have been achieved with the cultivation of indoor plants on Azolla substrate to replace peat potting soil. In addition, Azolla contains wax lipids with typical positions of OH groups, which could have applications in coatings, among others. These can also be marketed with further developed extraction techniques. 

The most obvious application for Azolla is the animal feed application. This is elaborated below. The table below provides an overview of the applications, including a short motivation for choice based on the feasibility period. 

The current market leader for protein is soy. In August 2015, the report "Soy Supply Security for the Netherlands" by the think tank HCSSxlviii was published. This report describes the risks of Europe's dependence on soy imports. 40 million tons of soy is imported annually; 6.5 million tons of soy is produced in Europe. This means a self-sufficiency rate of only 5.7% xlix. This low level of self-sufficiency entails risks for the Dutch economy, especially for the animal feed and food industries; with a joint contribution of 7% to important sectors to the Dutch GDP. The report states that Europe's market position as a major soybean importer is likely to change. Soy trade routes to Europe will shift to emerging middle-class countries like China. In those countries, the demand for animal proteins and soy as animal feed is growing strongly. In addition, these countries impose less stricter requirements on soy than the EU. Implications of this could be higher and volatile prices.

“Dutch animal feed is at the forefront of sustainability. In the Netherlands there are many NGOs and there is more pressure on sustainability. Nevedi wants to meet social requirements. Palm oil and soy, for example, are under a lot of pressure ”. 

Joke Klap, Neved, The Netherlands

There is a lot of attention for protein alternatives to increase the protein self-sufficiency in Europe. Solutions are sought in legumes, lupine, peas, rapeseed meal, sunflower meal, algae, seaweed, insects, Danube soy and Duckweed. A common disadvantage is that most of these crops compete with agricultural land. Other challenges include anti-nutritional factors such as glucinosates and phenols. In addition, a suitable alternative must be attractive from a price point of view. For example, the costs of algae are very high (EUR 3,000 / ton) and not competitive.

Various parties in the animal feed industry are specifically interested in a collaboration to investigate the possibilities of Azolla (and Duckweed) with the IPV. See the declarations of intent in Appendix 2. Incidentally, animal feed companies are prepared to pay 10 to 15% more for sustainable protein alternatives (willingness-to-pay) lii. Azolla cultivation could reduce dependence on soy imports. In a scenario in which Azolla would be cultivated on 50% of the peat meadows of North Holland, this would correspond to 42,000 tons of protein (protein percentage Azolla 21% * 20 tons per hectare * 10,000 hectares). With this amount of protein, the NL animal feed sector could save more than 5% in soy imports.

The cultivation of Azolla can contribute to making the animal feed industry more sustainable by replacing soy. Azolla fits in extremely well with the ambitions of the Implementation Agenda for Sustainable Livestock Farming. Azolla could provide the Dutch animal feed sector with a local source of protein. In a cultivation in an open system, it could fix excess phosphate. In the event that all phosphate has been extracted from the soil, this can be solved by fertilizing, which is a partial solution for the manure surplus. Furthermore, Azolla ensures a reduction in peat oxidation and associated greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the cultivation of Azolla on the Dutch peat meadows can reduce the agricultural area required for animal feed. For comparison, the average soybean yield is about 2.5 tons of dry matter per hectare per year. In the Dutch climate, Azolla can yield 20 tons of dry matter per year. This means that one hectare of soy would produce 0.36 * 2.5 = 0.9 tons of protein per hectare and Azolla 0.21 * 20 = 4.2 tons of protein per hectare. This would mean that Azolla yields approximately 4.5 times more protein hectares. It becomes even more interesting if this were to be applied to "marginal" agricultural land, which is too wet for current agricultural activities (called "tipping point areas" in South Holland), as these are depreciated and there is therefore no competition with the existing income model.

An exploratory study has been carried out to estimate the potential costs and benefits of the cultivation of Azolla. Before making this calculation, it should be noted that this crop is not (yet) commercially grown in the Netherlands and that such estimates are difficult. In order to get an idea of ​​the market opportunities, several assumptions are necessary and are only possible by making the best possible estimate of the potential returns from the various applications on the basis of market prices of comparable raw materials. For each application, a substantiation of the figures is provided and it is always indicated which assumptions have been made for this. The economic analysis, per application option, is the first to describe an estimate of the costs to be incurred for furnishing and machinery. From these data, an estimate of the operating costs per hectare of cultivated product has been made based on the expected scale size. Subsequently, the potential benefits were estimated. These data lead to a balance with potential costs and benefits and a result. The calculation is based on a cultivation of 10 hectares.

estemation of costs

Annual operating costs Azolla per hectare for a cultivation of 10 hectares.

Establishment costs for 10 hectares: investments € 50,000 + machine of € 20,000 means a depreciation of € 700 per hectare per year. 

• It is estimated that the costs for the construction of a dike of 5 meters wide and embankments of 60 cm high are € 24 per linear meter. It is estimated that the development costs for 10 hectares, requiring a detention of 1,300 meters, are equal to 1,300 * € 24, which corresponds to € 31,200.

• An investment in a VOPO pump of € 20,000 is required to control the water levels of 10 hectares. 

• A sieve belt with a Duckweed collector is expected to be available for purchase for a price of € 20,000. 

• The financing of the installation costs is based on € 700 per hectare per year on the basis of a depreciation of 10 years. Operating costs: € 1,950 per hectare per year

• Depreciation of installation costs: € 700 per hectare 

• The fixed costs, consisting of depreciation of land, buildings, inventory and machines, amount to € 700 per hectare. These costs include a lease price of € 360, - liv.

• The cultivation costs, including petrol and maintenance of machines and irrigation system are € 200 per hectare. It is estimated that it will need to be harvested twice a week during the growing season. 

• Transport and storage (incl. Drying back): € 200 per hectare. 

• Overhead (office, administration costs, GACP certification, etc.) € 150 per hectare. This is excl. Monitoring costs for water quality. 

• Wages are derived from work and are determined from revenues minus costs. All work is carried out by the farmer himself.

Potential yields and costs/Benefits of fresh Azolla for crude or slurry fertilization and as roughage

Average yields per hectare are estimated. 

• An average harvest of 20 tons of dry matter can be expected per hectare per year. 

• Processors from the market are estimated to be willing to pay between € 127.50 and € 245 per tonne for roughage biomass. 

• Prices of roughages vary depending on their ingredients and market trends. For roughage such as alfalfa, € 254 per ton is currently paid. English rye hay currently has a market value of € 127.50 lvi. 

• Some drying steps may be required for storage to prevent spoilage of the product.

With an annual production of an average of 20 tons of Azolla dry matter per hectare per year and assuming average sales prices between € 127.50 and € 245 per ton, the average yield per hectare will be between € 960 and € 5,080. 

Azolla as roughage can be profitable when harvesting approximately 20 tons of dry matter per hectare, yields of at least € 98 per ton. This is excl. A merit for the farmer. If this volume, or the price, is not feasible, it will have to be investigated whether cost savings are possible on the cultivation side. 

Potential yields and costs/Benefits of fresh Azolla as compound feed

For an application in the compound feed industry, Azolla will have to be dried. Major competitors in the field of protein in the compound feed industry are soy and rapeseed meal.

•  An average harvest of 20 tons of dry matter can be expected per hectare. 

• Current prices for rapeseed meal in 2015 averaged € 243 lvii. Prices for soya fluctuate strongly between € 280 and € 500, on average around 400 euros. Prices depend on ingredients and feed quality.

• The protein yield per hectare could be increased through selection and crop optimization. It is estimated that the protein percentage can increase up to a maximum of 30%. Two scenarios have been calculated, a protein percentage of 21% and a protein percentage of 30% (based on prices for rapeseed meal (42%) at € 243 and Soybean meal (49%) at € 400)

20 ton /ha with a protein content of 21 %: € 2.340 - € 3.471 

20 ton / ha with a protein content of 30 %: € 3.428 - € 4.898

The elaboration of the above information makes it possible to make a rough estimate of the potential costs and benefits of Azolla as a protein source in compound feed.

For 150 tons(fresh) / 20 tons (dry) 

• € 1.950 Exploitation costs

• € 4.600 Drying costs

• € 6.500 Total costs

Total financial yields: € 2.430 - €  4.898

Net Financial yield: € -4.070 up to €  -1.602

According to these calculations, Azolla is not yet profitable in the compound feed industry. It will have to be investigated whether cost savings are still possible in cultivation or drying. Feed Design Lab also indicates that the animal feed factories can possibly be set up to process raw materials with a higher moisture percentage.

Potential yields and costs/Benefits for refined azolla

Refining of Azolla:

•  An average harvest of 20 tons per hectare can be expected per hectare. Azolla contains 5% lipids, 21% protein and 1% caffeic acid. Proteins, lipids, caffeic acid can be extracted by low-tech methods. 

• Due to the high moisture content of Azolla, the drying costs have a major influence on the cost price. Costs for drying grass are on average 23 cents per dried kilo. As the crop to be dried contains a higher moisture content, as is also the case with Azolla, higher prices will be charged for drying. 

• Costs for extraction are rough assumptions and should be further tested.

Potential financial output from 20 tons / ha with a protein percentage of 21% 

• Protein Concentrate (50%) at € 800: € 3.360

• Biodiesel: € 500

• Caffeic acid: € 2.000

• Total: € 5.860

With this elaboration, a rough estimate has been made of the potential costs and benefits of refining Azolla.

Potential Azolla yield per hectare for refining 150 tons (fresh) / 20 tons (dry weight)

• Exploitation costs: € 1.950

• Extraction: € 1.406 (ref)

• Total costs: € 3.356

Total financial yield: € 5.860

Net financial yield: € 2.504

Azolla must be safe for human and animal nutrition

• Safety: Quality marks such as GAP + / GMP +  

• Grown in clean water; monitoring of water quality is necessary.  

• Azolla must be allowed by the European Food Safety Authority. 

Favourable environmental performance

More and more attention is paid to CO2 performance. In the implementation agenda of Sustainable Livestock Farming, concrete objectives are formulated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A new animal feed crop must therefore fit within these objectives. The cultivation of Azolla prevents the greenhouse gas emissions from peat oxidation through rewetting. The influence of soy on deforestation and transport to Europe also causes greenhouse gas emissions. The drying step of Azolla (98% water) still requires a lot of energy. Solutions for this must be found in inventive ways of drying or processing into compound feed with higher moisture percentages. 

Low cost price

The animal feed sector is strongly cost price driven. Buyers have little buffer to absorb higher prices. This offers little scope to implement higher prices for a raw material such as Azolla. Azolla has to compete with soy, which is often produced by overexploitation in third world countries. This raises the question of whether and how sustainable crops in general can compete with non-sustainable crops: through higher prices for sustainable products, through import taxes by the national government for crops that are not sustainably grown or through cost-efficient cultivation of these crops. 

Cultivation risks from pests and diseases must be controllable

Another risk in the cultivation of Azolla is unforeseen pests and diseases. Previous Duckweed projects already mentioned problems such as goose lix, fungus lx and a weevil. It is still difficult to estimate to what extent Azolla is bothered by pests and diseases, but a study will be started by Adrie van der Werf (WUR) in the near future. 

Duckweed as a competitor with a head start

Duckweed is in many ways comparable to Azolla. There are important differences in ingredients with Azolla, such as the higher protein percentage and high-quality oils. On the other hand, Azolla's growing season is likely to be longer, as it is less sensitive to cold temperatures and reduced light (day length shortening and shading).

In addition, Duckweed processing is slightly ahead of Azolla. Extraction techniques are currently available to extract protein from Duckweed and a procedure has been started to have Duckweed approved by the European Food Safety Authority. Several companies have already started processing Duckweed lxii. In addition, several pilots with duckweed have taken place in the Netherlands, which puts cultivation knowledge ahead.

Given the enormous growth rate of Azolla (and Duckweed), these crops have opportunities to become a scalable alternative to existing protein sources. Set up the IPV with various plots with different varieties and water levels for research; optimize by variety selection (which strains work best, have the highest yield, etc.); test cultivation (cultivation method, water levels, harvesting technique, etc.) and conduct further market research and chain development. For a final large-scale application in the North Holland peat meadows, a number of aspects will have to be further investigated in the pilot, such as:  

• Pest / pests and how to minimize them. 

• Control contamination during cultivation and quality assurance (GAP / GACP).  

• Increase in the protein yield per hectare. This can be done by selecting varieties with a higher protein percentage or by increasing yield through optimization of the cultivation.  

• Animal nutrition testing of roughage, liquid feed and dried feed, both in laboratories and with farmers.  

• Positioning in relation to Duckweed and possible complementarity.  

• Drying methods and adaptations to wetter processing in compound feed.  

• Legislation.  

• Extraction techniques for high-value applications.

Combined cultivation with duckweed

• Azolla in combination with duckweed offers possibilities to combine the best of both crops. This contributes to the general (innovative) level of knowledge and answers 1) the positioning of Azolla with respect to duckweed and 2) the possibilities for complementarity between the two.  

• Experiment with open and closed (controlled) cultivation. Closed cultivation has advantages in terms of controllability (and contamination) and in optimizing the yield. Open cultivation has the advantage that it is not only cheaper, but also has a much greater scale potential.  

• Partnerships with umbrella organizations and animal feed companies. Cattle feed cooperative De Eendracht and FeedDesignLab and its members (!) are open to this. A recommendation is to enter into a relationship with these in the short term, with the aim of validating underlying assumptions as soon as possible, such as 

  • Do cattle want to eat it as a supplement? What is the impact on the animal and the end product? 

  • Chain adjustment. To what extent is the animal feed industry prepared to adapt and accept wet food. This would have a positive effect on the cost price and reduce the number of steps in the chain. Only start drying when it appears that it is absolutely necessary. 

  • Closed loop: test with and at the farmer. It is admittedly not allowed to produce Azolla for the animal feed market. But if a farmer produces it on his own property, then it is possible to feed it to the herd lxiii. 

  • In view of the relevant network and pilot partners, it is advisable to contact the initiators of the Green Deal “Proteins on the menu”.

• Have harvested Azolla tested at FeedDesignLab and its members. FeedDesignLab has the infrastructure to experiment and develop various recipes for compound feed chunks. In addition, it has members where these recipes can be tested.  

• Phase, learn and optimize. Within the animal feed market, the primary focus should be on non-extracted protein as (semi-) wet knitting food, possibly with low-tech drying methods. After harvesting and cultivation have been optimized and the market has become more anchored, we can focus on protein extraction. This produces residual flows that can be marketed as lipid, source for energy generation or as green manure.  

• Human opportunities. Investigating the market opportunities for human food can be used if the cultivation, harvest and quality of the end product are better optimized and if there is more clarity about the legislation and regulations. Vivera, (The Netherlands) producer of meat substitute foods, is open to this.

The two to three year old roots (rhizomes) of calamus can be used for high-quality applications in the phytotherapeutic market and as a aroma in human food. Calamus is an aromaticum and its main ingredients are glycosidic bitter substances such as acorone, essential oils (including β-asaron (syn cis-isoasaron) or Z-isoasarone or cis-isoasarone, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes), resin, mucilages, flavonoids, saponin, cholinoids, mineral salts, glucose, starch and tannins cxxvi. Calamus is currently available in the following forms: tincture of fresh or dried rhizomes, root powder of dried rhizomes, essential oil of fresh rhizomes, as fresh rhizomes, tea of dried rhizomes, as liquid extract of fresh or dried rhizomes, and dry extract or nebulisate from fresh or dried rhizomes. Below we further explain the uses of calamus.

Phytotherapeutic

The rhizomes of calamus have, among others, the following medicinal properties: Oral intake: the primary medicinal effect is digestive properties with the following effect: bittering agent, appetite stimulant, promotes salivation, stomach strengthening, digestion stimulating, antispasmodic and wind repellent, calming, the secondary properties are muscle relaxant, blood pressure lowering, menstruation promoting, sweating, expectorant, antipyretic, diuretic. External application: increases bleeding from the gums, deodorises the breath, increases the blood circulation in the skin (soothes rheumatism and gout pain), decongestant on mucous membranes.

Although calamus is known for the above health aspects, the herb is not described in the European, American or Chinese Pharmacopoeia. A pharmacopoeia is a reference work that contains statutory requirements for the composition, preparation method and approval of medicines according to certain pharmaceutical standards in order to ensure the uniformity of those medicines. This concerns medicines, plant extracts and oils. This does not make calamus an official herbal remedy in the relevant countries. Calamus is described in the Indian Pharmacopoeia.

Aroma for human food

As a bittering agent, calamus is used as a hydro-alcoholic extract in numerous aperitifs, liqueurs, gins, beers or brandies (e.g. Beerenburg and Absinth). In addition, powder can be used as a spice. Calamus has a taste that is reminiscent of the combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger cxxvii.

As described above, calamus has a phytotherapeutic application and an application as a flavoring in human food. The volumes of calamus for human food and medicinal herbs are too small to make a contribution on a landscape scale in the peat meadow area. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity for an entrepreneur to generate income from the cultivation of calamus on a small scale.

“Relatively small market” 

The size of the total world trade market is estimated (roughly) to not exceed 1,000 tons of dry plant material per year (sum of dried material, extracts and essential oil). Production takes place mainly in India, China, Russia, Poland and Hungary. Export statistics from India show that the volumes for dried material are 140 tons, extract 50 kg and oil 500 kg on an annual basis. Dried material is mainly exported to Indonesia (over 60%) and Sri Lanka (15%). 75% of the oil is sold in Germany and extracts in France (35%), Spain (16%), Germany (13%) and USA (10%).

The European calamus market amounts to a few thousand kg per year cxxviii. Because calamus is not included in Western pharmacopoeias, it may not be sold in these countries as an “over the counter product” (OTC product; official medicinal product), as for example resistance-promoting products from echinacea are allowed. This is a major barrier for multinationals to sell this product. Increasing sales volumes of calamus will therefore not be likely in the future.

Inquiries with herb wholesalers in calamus in Europe have shown that they source dried calamus from Eastern Europe (mainly wild pick from Poland and Hungary). All forms of the dried herb are offered (dried, chopped, powder, wild pick, organic, with and without peel). India's export statistics also show that dried calamus is hardly exported to countries in Europe.

As there is no data on the global volumes of calamus, no statistics are available on the size of the cultivated area. In addition, the majority of calamus is collected from the wild. Based on 10,000 kg of freshly harvested rhizomes per hectare, a moisture percentage of 72% and 2% oil or extract, the harvested area in India is an estimated 60 hectares (which corresponds to about 140 tons of fresh material), with a 2 year cultivation it is cultivation area 120 hectares.

“Demand for transparency and high quality among European buyers” 

Discussions with market parties in this herbs and extracts market show that renowned European buyers attach great importance to transparency about the origin, type and ingredients of dried material or extracts. Issuing a Certificates of Analysis (CoA) offers a solution here. A CoA is a unique, official document issued by a laboratory, stating the analysis results (such as the amount of active ingredients) and the method used. A CoA is used in the food and pharmaceutical industry, among others. These CoA can sometimes be obtained for a fee, although it is not always possible to obtain one. Not every wholesaler offers this option.

At a select number of companies (many web shops that have their own product line such as shanti-shop and pit-pit) that purchase dried rhizomes or extracts / tinctures, the quality of the product is paramount in relation to the price. They are willing to pay a higher price for more quality guarantees and / or organic cultivation. However, many companies that work with the product have no insight into the quality of the product they purchase, because they lack knowledge of this. Renowned companies with knowledge of plant physics who buy calamus to make their own tincture see the importance of high quality. The Dutch extraction company Pembroek B.V., which is specialized in aromas, therefore only buys whole rhizomes that have been professionally and adequately dried. They have learned from past experience to purchase only this raw, high-quality material. Raw materials that have already been ground or powdered can easily be cut up, or inert material is added to this (the product is therefore not 100% pure).

Calamus are offered by a small number of wholesalers in Europe. In the Netherlands by one wholesaler cxxix. This wholesaler is unwilling to issue a calamus CoA to its customers. The customers of European wholesalers are extraction companies / distillers who make their own high-quality tincture / extract themselves. Examples are Pembroek B.V. in Loosdrecht and Hooghoudt (producer of Beerenburg drink) from Groningen. Hooghoudt is a family distillery and they indicated that they were concerned about transparency and quality of calamus and are considering setting up their own garden to grow calamus. It is estimated that Hooghoudt has a volume of 50 kilos of dried rhizomes on an annual basis, which is approximately equal to 150 kg of fresh rhizomes.

The average selling price of a wholesaler in Europe is between € 8 for carrot powder and € 30 for dried organically grown rhizomes per kg of dried weight. The large price differences are related to the quality of the product. This shows that people are paying for a high-quality product. 

For a start-up Western company in calamus it is difficult to serve the Asian market, in the long term this may be an option. The Asian market, especially Indonesia and Sri Lanka, is very large and calamus is a traditional medicine there. Consumers are familiar with the product and calamus is sold in various sales channels. In Asia, however, there are many small local companies supplying this market. In addition to bridging the distance and cultural differences, the higher price of calamus produced in the Netherlands is initially of no interest to these parties. Consumer markets in Asian countries are expected to grow. This means that in all probability the demand from these countries will also increase in the future and there may also be a willingness to pay for a high-quality product in the future.

In the short / medium term, the market opportunities lie in the high segment where quality and therefore the ingredients of the product are important. In order to enter this market, it is necessary to inform the users of the product about the different qualities that are currently offered by the wholesaler in order to create demand in the wholesaler.

Prices of dried calamus rhizomes 

The market is prepared to pay an average of € 15 per kg of dried calamus cxxx. This price can only be achieved if the harvest is optimized. The harvest costs are crucial in this story. These must be kept to a minimum in order to create a market. Expected sales volumes of dried calamus on an annual basis: After 5 years: 1000 kg of dried rhizomes at € 15 per kg = € 15,000 turnover (0.7 hectares) cxxxi. After 10 years: 5000 kg of dried rhizomes at € 15 per kg = € 75,000 turnover (3.5 hectares).

Expected sales volumes of high-quality calamus oil on an annual basis:

After 5 years: 20 kg oil at € 180 per kg = € 15,000 turnover (0.7 hectare) After 10 years: 80 kg oil at € 180 per kg = € 75,000 , - turnover (3.5 hectares) cxx

Condition: safe product 

Cultivation of calamus must be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the European Pharmacopoeia. This means, among other things, a maximum moisture percentage of 12% in the root, a maximum of 5% contamination (weeds, etc.) and a maximum of 2% ash. For a pharmaceutical application, production according to GACP guidelines (Good Agricultural and Collection Practice) is common, this is not an additional purchase argument and therefore no extra payment is made. The reverse, non-GACP, can be a reason not to buy the batch. Different varieties of Acorus calamus are offered on the market. Each with their own specific ingredients; diploid (North America), triploid (Europe), tetraploid (East Asia, India and Japan) and hexaploid (Kashmir). In Europe, a maximum of content per unit has been set. The diploid variety from North America does not contain β-asarone. The tetraploid variety from East Asia, India and Japan is prohibited by law in the Netherlands. Calam has been banned by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) from β-asarone in food in the United States since 1968.

Tillage: Rhizome harvest 

The rhizomes of calamus are used, the product must be harvested every 2 years. So tillage is required for this. It is not yet known what this means for peat degradation. Temporary draining in autumn for harvest does not have to be a problem, but does require attention. It has to be experimentally investigated how the rhizomes should be harvested most economically, while preserving peat. A soft soil with a layer of silt is beneficial for the crop itself. A more resilient soil is highly desirable for harvesting the crop. Where the optimum lies is one of the questions in a practical trial. How the design and harvesting can best be carried out will have to be part of research. The question is whether the grass cover must be removed or whether it is sufficient to mow it very short and then flood it. 

Crop selection

A number of varieties of calamus, especially the varieties from Asia, contain the substance β-asaron. This substance is toxic and has legal requirements. It is important to select the correct variant for the test that does not have the substance β-asarone. The product has been used for a very long time without problems, but from a marketing point of view it is better not to find the substance in the raw material cxxxiii. 

Continuous quality guarantees

In the high-quality market it is important to clearly indicate why the product has added value. By means of analyzes, evidence will have to be provided that Dutch-grown calamus have higher concentrations of active substances, without β-asarone, compared to calamus from other areas of constant quality. Customers must be able to trust that the delivered product meets all the requirements set every year. The use of calamus in the human diet mainly relates to the aroma. In addition to the variety, a wide range of environmental factors influence the ingredients and thus the taste and smell of the aroma, such as soil, temperature, hours of sunshine and the time of harvesting a major influence on the ingredients. In 2014, the worldwide demand for calamus was high, so growers harvested the calamus a few weeks earlier than usual.The quality of the product was a lot lower and so was the smell and taste. An aroma must taste the same with every production batch. A producer of these flavors must be able to trust that the purchased raw material is of equal quality in each batch. 

Infrastructure

Currently there is no drying facility available where quantities from 1,000 kg to 100,000 kg can be dried. The many grass dryers such as Hartog B.V. in Lambertschaag have excellent drying capacities from 250,000 kg fresh product. Investments will have to be made in a drying unit with an accompanying protocol that can dry calamus roots.

The volumes of calamus for human food and medicinal herb are too small to make a contribution on a landscape scale for a peat meadow area. Nevertheless, there is a possibility to generate income from the cultivation of calamus on a small scale. Two parties in The Netherlands were found (Hooghoudt and Pembroek B.V.) who are willing to extract samples from a trial crop and to give feedback whether the quality of calamus grown in the peat meadow meets the criteria set. It is not possible to compete on price alone. Creating a niche market by supplying a high-quality product in the form of dried calamus with a high consistent quality that is traceable, and putting it on the market is one of the possibilities. Such a pilot can act as a flywheel for other crops so that the peat meadow area can be positioned as a region with unique landscape qualities, know-how at companies (including growers, breeders, dryers, mechanization companies) and knowledge institutions (including the University of Amsterdam) and support from national and regional governments, enabling the region to become a leader in specialized plant cultivation for high-value applications: 

• Quality and quantity of the ingredients; 

• Organic or organic cultivation; 

• Customer specific cultivation; 

• Sustainable, no wild harvest from untouched nature. 

The phases that will be completed are: 

• Selection of the variety to be used; 

• Assessment of the ingredients; go / no go moment: do they meet the requirements set by the customer; 

• Set up harvest protocol; go / no go moment: if this shows that calamus cannot be harvested without preserving peat; 

• Final cost calculation; go / no go moment: the project has a chance of success if the cost price does not exceed € 30 per kg of dried rhizomes 

• Final development of cultivation and drying protocol; 

• Market introduction. 

Phytotherapeutic

All parts of the plant are medically active, but the leaves are the most used. The plant is anti-inflammatory, astringent, carminative, purifying, digestive, diuretic, emetic, menstrual inducing, fever-reducing, and hypnotic. Marsh trefoil can irritate the digestive system of patients with stomach inflammation or infection. Consumption of the fresh plant causes vomiting. Menyanthes is described in the European Pharmacopoeia, not the US Pharmacopoeia. 

Cosmetics

Extract of dried leaves of Marsh trefoil are used in cosmetics in skin conditioners. The ingredients (extract or oil) are on the INCI list. This is the International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient, or International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients. INCI names are internationally standardized names for substances that are used in cosmetics. In addition, Marsh trefoil also has a CAS number. This stands for Chemical Abstracts Service, a division of the American Chemical Society. The CAS registry is one of the largest databases in the world with information on more than 50 million chemical compounds. Marsh trefoil is officially registered as an ingredient for cosmetics under CAS number 84082-63-3. 

Inquiries with market parties in The Netherlands revealed little or no supply and demand for Marsh trefoil. General statistics on market volumes are missing. However, a wholesaler who has, among other things, Marsh trefoil in its range, showed that the volume of Marsh trefoil amounts to an average of 500 kilos (dry weight) per year. As a result, the possible scale of the production of Marsh trefoil is not in accordance with a scale that matches the waterlogging objectives of the Dutch Innovation Program Peat. 

At present it seems that the market opportunities are poor for large scale marsh trefoil production. 

The fresh or dried leaf of the flowering herb is an astringent, antitussive (cough suppressant), hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) and antipyretic (antipyretic) agent. The plant is harvested when flowering begins and can be used fresh or dried, in an infusion or as a tincture. Important ingredients are lithospermic acid, fluorine, phenolic acids (coffee acid, hydrocinnamic acid, rezomaretic acid, ferulenic acid), flavanoids (luteolin-7-monoglusocide and apigenin-7-monoglucoside), coumarins (0.12%), tanning agent, essential oil, alkaloids galactose, resine. Current applications are predominantly attenuation of increased thyroid activity and premenstrual syndrome symptoms such as breast pain. Gypsywort Inhibits iodine conversion in the thyroid gland and is used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism and related conditions. Hyperthyroidism is a disease in which the thyroid gland produces too much thyroxine and thus speeds up the body's metabolism or metabolism. Gypsywort should not be prescribed to pregnant women or patients with hypothyroidism. In addition, Gypsywort slows down and strengthens heart contractions. Gypsywort can also be used in the treatment of cough, bleeding from the lungs, excessive menstruation. The leaves are used as a compress for cleaning dirty wounds. Although Gypsywort is used medicinally, it is not described in the European Pharmacopoeia and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. A pharmacopoeia is a book containing statutory regulations for the composition, preparation method and approval of medicines according to certain pharmaceutical standards in order to ensure the uniformity of those medicines. This concerns medicines, plant extracts and oils. This makes gypsywort not an official herbal remedy, but a traditional herbal preparation / folk medicine.

Inquiries with pharmaceutical and extraction companies show that there is little or no supply and demand for wolf's foot as a raw material for the production of a phytotherapeutic medicine. One of the largest wholesalers of dried plants speaks of volumes of 200 kilos (dry weight) per year. This equates to a production of approximately 1,000 m2. As a result, the possible scale of the production of Gypsywort as a phytotherapeutic medicine is not in accordance with a scale appropriate to the wetting objectives of the Innovation Program Peat (The Netherlands). In addition to the small scale, the commercial production of Gypsywort on a small scale in the Dutch peat meadows would not lead to a profitable business model with the current market prices of 12 euros per kilo of dried material. Companies such as Natura Sanat B.V. The Cruydhof in Weerdinge buy small-scale (a few kilos) of dried plant material from wholesalers to make their own tincture and sell it under their own brand. These types of companies are too small to produce. 

At present it seems that the market opportunities are poor for large scale Gypsywort production.