The Oil Mallee Project: A Multifaceted Industrial Ecology Case Study

Abstract

Summary The planting on degraded agricultural lands of eucalypts for leaf oil provides a commercial incentive for restoring original vegetation; a sustainable method of controlling groundwater and salinity; a product that is an environmentally benign substitute for a widely used solvent damaging to the ozone layer; and a mechanism for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. With integrated tree crop systems and improved harvesting and processing technologies, the Western Australian wheatbelt could produce large volumes of high‐cineole eucalyptus oil from mallee eucalypts. With new industrial markets, a scale of planting could be achieved that would result in substantial land rehabilitation benefits. Industrial solvent markets are large and currently in transition following the recent withdrawal of 1,1,1‐trichloroethane as a result of international measures to control ozone depletion. There is a strong preference in these markets for “natural” replacement products. Although large‐scale penetration of these markets would need prices about half those prevailing in traditional eucalyptus oil markets, this goal should be achievable with the potential for economies of scale, genetic advances, and improved harvesting and processing technologies.

Eucalyptus essential oil as a natural pesticide

“…The natural pest and disease control either directly or indirectly using natural plant products/botanicals, including essential oils, holds a good promise (Regnault-Roger, 1997;Isman, 2000Isman, , 2006Bakkali et al, 2008). Among essential oils, Eucalyptus oil, in particular, is more useful as it is easily extractable commercially (industrial value) and possesses a wide range of desirable properties worth exploiting for pest management (Boland et al, 1991;FAO, 1995;Barton, 2000). We refer it as a provisioning ecosystem service since the oil is commercially important product of the tree.…”

Fitotoxicidad De Aceites Esenciales Y Extractos Acuosos De Plantas Mediterráneas Para El Control De Arvenses

“…Los eucaliptus son explotados también para la obtención de madera para pasta papelera (Zobel, 1988), proporcionan combustible de su biomasa y reducen los niveles de CO 2 atmosférico (Barton, 2000;Martin, 2002). Su aceite esencial se usa como repelente de insectos y como pesticida (Barton, 2000).…”

“…Su aceite esencial se usa como repelente de insectos y como pesticida (Barton, 2000). Los aceites de eucaliptus se conocen desde hace cientos de años como antibacterianos, antifúngicos y antisépticos naturales (Barton, 2000).…”

Chemical Defenses in Eucalyptus Species: A Sustainable Strategy Based on Antique Knowledge to Diminish Agrochemical Dependency

“…Essential oils are easily biodegraded and have proved to exhibit low toxicity against vertebrates also playing an important role as bioherbicide for weed management (Barton 1999, Batish et al 2007, Batish et al 2008.…”

“…Moreover, plantations may provide environmental benefits across diverse areas including the atmosphere (replacing ozone-depleting substances), agriculture (land rehabilitation, phytoremediation), and carbon sequestration (Barton 1999). From a social point of view integrated exploitation of forest resources has been considered within the group of multiple-use strategies, which increases the range of income generating alternative options for forest-dependent communities, while avoiding some of the ecological costs of timber cutting (Olajide et al 2008).…”