32 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | May/June 2024 CORIANDER: Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an annual spice crop and a member of the Umbelliferous, or carrot, family. It has an erect, branching stem that grows to a height of approximately 0.6 to one metre (two to three feet). The fresh herb is called cilantro or Chinese parsley. Coriander is used in southeast and southern Asian, Chinese, and Mexican cuisine and for flavouring salads and soups. The harvested coriander seed is a fruit containing two fused seeds. This fused fruit is demanded by the marketplace and the seed would be downgraded if it was split. Essential oils are derived from coriander seed, which requires additional processing. Mature seeds provide a pleasant spicy aroma; however, the leaves have a pungent scent. Coriander powder made from ground seeds is used to flavour curries, gin, and prepared meats. Two types of coriander (large seeded and small seeded) are commonly grown in the Prairies, and both require approximately 100 to 110 days to mature. Linalool is the essential oil of coriander and should contain about 60 to 70 per cent. Yields of coriander range from 1,700 to just over 2,000 kg/ha. The 1,000 fruit (seed) weight ranges from seven to nine grams. Essential oils range from 0.91 to 1.22 per cent oil and the linalool ranges from 65 to 68 per cent of the essential oil. Seeding dates for coriander range from late April to mid May and emergence can take up to 21 days. Coriander tolerates some spring frost and there is no difference if seeding intact or split fruits. Cabbage looper (larvae) can do damage to coriander by feeding on the plant. Grasshoppers are more of a contamination problem in the harvested sample, and leaf hoppers can be the vector for a virus known as aster yellows. Diseases affecting coriander include damping off and seedling rot, which attack the roots, as well as blossom blight, and sclerotinia. At harvest time, coriander can be straight combined using conventional combines. The grains are combined at 15 per cent moisture content and stored at 10 per cent moisture content. However, buyers prefer coriander at nine per cent moisture content. CARAWAY: Caraway (Carum carvi) is a member of the Umbelliferae (carrot) family and is also grown in Saskatchewan. There is both annual and biennial coriander, but the biennial is the preference of growers. Caraway is used to flavour foods like bread, cheese, and sauerkraut. The seed contains about two to five per cent essential oil, which is used to flavour meats, mouthwash, and liqueurs. Carvone oil, which makes up about 52 per cent of caraway seed, is most sought after, while limonene makes up SPECIAL CROPS ON THE PRAIRIES Consider using these in your rotation. By Dale Risula, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Ag Insights diyanadimitrova - stock.adobe.com photo Dale Risula photo Dale Risula photo Coriander Caraway Fenugreek
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