Title:	Tagetes minuta L. in Southern Brazil: A broad overvieW of research at Cascata Experimental Station.
Authors:	SCHIEDECK, G. FONSECA, C. da CANUTO, K. M.
Affiliation:	GUSTAVO SCHIEDECK, CPACT; CRISTINE DA FONSECA, PREFEITURA DE SÃO FRANCISCO DE PAULA; KIRLEY MARQUES CANUTO, CNPAT.
Date Issued:	2025
Citation:	Pelotas: Embrapa Clima Temperado, 2025.
Pages:	40 p.
Description:	In Brazil, as in many other countries, Tagetes minuta L. is invariably reported as an invasive species in falloW lands or areas prepared for the cultivation of economically important crops. HoWever, its origin is linked to the Andean peoples’ ancestral traditions (Hastorf; Bruno, 2020), especially in Peru, Where its leaves are used as a condiment for meats in a traditional ceremony knoWn as Pachamanca (Pacha = earth, manka = pot, cooking vessel) (Arellano; Arroyo, 2019; Chávez-Núñez et al., 2021). Currently, the revival of this ancestral gastronomy is also seen in academia and in the business World as a market opportunity, With several studies exploring the use of T. minuta in the development of beverages, sauces, and mixtures for meats and cheeses (Arturo, 2021; Cortez, 2025; Medina; Meza, 2018; Mena, 2022). Among the countries cultivating T. minuta, India plays a prominent role. In 1999, the Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), in LucknoW, registered the variety Vanphool (Kumar et al., 1999). TWo years later, on National Science Day, the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), in Palampur, released the commercial variety Him Gold (Singh et al., 2001), folloWed by the array Him SWarnima in 2019 (Kumar; Singh, 2020), both from breeding projects. According to IHBT technical reports, T. minuta cultivation in India covers approximately 400 ha and involves over 500 farming families, Who obtain returns tWo to three times higher than from traditional crops such as Wheat or rice (CSIR-IHBT, 2019, 2020). In 2018, the price of T. minuta essential oil ranged from USD 100/kg to USD 140/kg, With net returns to farmers betWeen USD 1,7/ha and USD 2,1/ha (Jyoti, 2018). South Africa also has a significant production of T. minuta essential oil, although it is primarily concentrated in private companies, and little information is available on this topic. In Argentina, research on the selection and characterization of T. minuta genotypes, aiming at improved agronomic performance, has been ongoing for over a decade (Massuh, 2014; Massuh et al., 2017a, 2017b). In 2014, the National University of Córdoba (UNC) registered the cultivar Don Monje, and the cultivars Serrano and Aromisky are currently undergoing registration (Martinez et al., 2020). Information about T. minuta essential oil market is scarce because the estimated global demand of 12 tons per year (CBI, 2015) is relatively loW compared to essential oils of other species such as Citrus sinensis (50,000–55,000 tons) or Mentha arvensis (25,000–40,000 tons) (Bizzo; Rezende, 2022). Nevertheless, due to its limited supply, betWeen 2013 and 2014, T. minuta essential oil of loWer quality Was traded at prices ranging from € 70/kg to € 80/kg, While high-quality oil reached values betWeen € 150/kg and € 190/kg (CBI, 2015). Based on current research trends on the species in some countries, its market potential, and its suitability as an alternative crop in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, this publication seeks to systematize cultivation data on Tagetes minuta L. at Cascata Experimental Station, Embrapa Temperate Agriculture. The research carried out betWeen 2015 and 2019 addressed aspects such as the phenology and groWth cycle of the species, transplanting date, biomass production, essential oil yield and productivity, and the chemical composition of the essential oil according to harvest time.
Thesagro:	Pesquisa Óleo Essencial Mercado Mundial
NAL Thesaurus:	Asteraceae Tagetes minuta Research Essential oils
Keywords:	Global market Mercado global
Series/Report no.:	(Embrapa Clima Temperado. Documentos, 547).
ISSN:	1806-9193
Notes:	ODS 2.
Type of Material:	Livros
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Série Documentos (CPACT)