EUPHORBIA
Other Common Names Include: Caper spurge, wild spurge, moleplant
Latin Name: Euphorbia lagascae
Plant Family: Euphorbiaceae
Close Relatives: Poinsettia
Uses and Markets: Industrial; oil contains vernolic acid, an industrial epoxidized fatty acid ester used primarily as a plasticizer and in the manufacture of paints and coatings.
Production Life Cycle in Ontario
Annual
Hardiness Zone
N/A
Special Notes
Non shattering (indehiscent) varieties should be planted to minimize yield losses, but both dehiscent and indehiscent varieties are available.
Propagation method
Seed
Greenhouse Seeding/Propagation Dates
N/A
Field Seeding Date:
Late spring. Seed at 10-30 kg/ha.
Field Transplanting Dates
N/A
In-row spacing
N/A
Between row spacing
30 cm
Optimal Soil temperature at planting
>10°C
Fertility
No current Ontario fertility recommendations exist. Research and recommendations from outside Ontario do not necessarily apply to Ontario growing conditions. Click here for phosphorus and potassium application guidelines and for more information on specialty crop fertility.
Soil type
Medium to heavy, well-drained soils. Avoid siliceous soils.
Soil pH
pH 6-8
Special requirements for growth habit
Generally drought tolerant. Excessive watering should be avoided.
Optimal Temperature Range
Temperate climate.
Temperature sensitivity
Cold tolerant.
Irrigation requirements
Irrigation usually not required.
Days to harvest
Crop requires 110-120 frost free days to mature.
Specialized equipment
Green pea harvester.
Harvest
Harvest Scheduling
Single harvest
Hand harvest or machine harvest
Machine harvest
Quality parameters/grades
No established grades in Canada.
Additional Harvest Notes
Significant seed loss can occur from capsule shattering. Harvest when capsule ripening reaches the third branch. Plant produces a significant amount of latex that can be an irritant.
Post harvest
Special handling/curing
Harvested seed is dried to 8% moisture prior to final cleaning.
Storage Conditions
Relative humidity (RH): N/A
Temperature: N/A
Air Exchange: N/A
Duration: N/A
Specific pests observed on this crop in Ontario (observations based on limited experience with this crop)
None identified in Ontario to date.
Other Potential Pests: The following pests have not been observed on this crop in Ontario. However, they are either significant concerns for closely related plants in Ontario, or are reported on this crop in other production areas. This is not a comprehensive list of all potential pests. Not all of these pests will necessarily survive Ontario’s climate, but could potentially survive in a protected environment (e.g. greenhouse, storage facility).
Insects and Invertebrates: Mites
Diseases: Rust (Melampsora euphorbiae), southern blight (Sclerotium rolfsii), root knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla), viruses
*Indicates pests commonly mentioned as causing significant damage or economic loss to this crop in other regions.
Comments
To date the following pests have been the most significant in Ontario: n/a – limited production in Ontario to date. This crop is not in a crop group. For more information on Crop Groups, refer to the Pest section. There are few to no pest control products registered on this crop. Always refer to product labels, and follow all directions specified on the label, before applying any pest control product. For more information, consult an OMAFRA specialist.
None
None
- Breemhaar, H.G. and A. Bouman. 1995. Harvesting and cleaning Euphorbia lagascae, a new arable oilseed crop for industrial application. Industrial Crops and Products, 4:173-178.
- Roseberg, R.J. 1996. Underexploited temperate industrial and fibre crops. P 60-84. In J. Janick (ed.), Progress in new crops. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA
- Roseberg, R.J. and R. Bentley. 2011. Influence of environment and agronomic practices on euphorbia seed and oil yield. Abst presented at the Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops annual meeting.
- Pascual-Villalobos, M.J., G. Robbelen, E. Correal and S. Ehbrecht-von Witzke. 1993. Performance test of Euphorbia lagascae Spreng., an oilseed species rich in vernolic acid, in southeast Spain. Industrial Crops and Products, 1:185-190.
- Pascual-Villalobos, M.J., G. Robbelen and E. Correal. 1994. Production and evaluation of indehiscent mutant genotypes in Euphorbia lagascae. Industrial Crops and Products, 3:129-143.
