Borage: A New Crop for Southern Chile

Borage (Borago officinalis L., Boraginaceae) is an herbaceous annual (Janick et al. 1989). Current interest in this crop is for its seed which contains a high percentage of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) (allcis 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid) in the oil. GLA is a precursor of the prostaglandin PGE1 in the human body (Willis 1981) which is vital in many body functions, such as antithrombotic inhibitory effects on aggregation of platelets, lowering blood pressure, and inhibiting cholesterol formation (Belisle 1990). Potential medical uses of GLA include treating atopic eczema to decrease disease symptoms (Wright and Burton 1982) and reducing side effects of diabetes, such as vascular damage, altered platelet function, and arteriosclerosis (Kies 1989). Commercial seed sources of GLA include evening primrose and some Ribes species. Oil content of borage seeds averages between 300 and 380 g kg of which 20% to 23% is GLA. Oil and GLA content are higher in borage seed compared to those from evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) and Ribes spp. (Kleiman et al. 1964; Wolf et al. 1983). Main producers of borage seed are Canada, England, New Zealand (Nicholls 1996), The Netherlands, and the United States. US borage production was highest in North Dakota in 1999. The market for borage oil, as for evening primrose oil, fluctuates wildly with some years of over-supply and others of low production. The major reason for this is that the major borage producer is Canada, where growers can produce seed at the lowest cost, but where there is a high risk for crop failure due to early frosts. Therefore borage seed volume marketed each year is variable, fluctuating between 500 and 2000 tonnes. Seed prices fluctuate between US$2.5– 4/kg depending on supply and seed quality. Seeds with higher than 24% GLA are easier to sell during years of oversupply. Borage is grown usually at higher latitudes to increase GLA content. Most processing companies require a minimum 22% GLA which is not easy to obtain at latitudes lower than 38°. Southern Chile has climatic and soil conditions favorable for borage seed production. Southern Chile’s climate is very similar to that of New Zealand which is the second largest borage producer. Therefore borage has been one of the alternative crops evaluated in South Chile. Several agronomic trials such as seeding dates, base temperature determination, harvest dates, plant density, and adaptation to locations have been designed to determine borage adaptability to Southern Chile.