Production of Aromatic Plants in Asia - An Overview*

Aromatic plants are plants that possess aromatic compounds, most of which are essential oils which are volatile in room temperature. They have traditionally been used as raw materials for extraction of essential oils (which, in turn, are used in the flavor and fragrance industries), as well as the sources of spices, herbs, and other natural products such as traditional medicines, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, botanical pesticides, insect repellents, herbal teas/drinks, etc. Asia is well known throughout the world as ‘the Land of Aromatic Plants’ because it possesses favorable climatic conditions suitable for the growth and development of aromatic plants. Other names like ‘the Land of Spices’, ‘the Land of Traditional Perfumes’, also indicate the popularity of aromatic plants in Asia. Such plants have been used commercially as spices and as sources of raw material for essential-oil industry from the dawn of history. Aromatic plants were originally collected from the wild. Due to overexploitation, many species have become extinct or scarce so that they have to be cultivated. The present paper provides information on the list of species of aromatic plants, either collected from the wild, or those cultivated in countries in Asia. It also discusses the cultivation of major aromatic plants, and the advantages of cultivation, the genetic improvement and the cultural improvement of aromatic plants.