Colext/Macondo
Cantina virtual de los COLombianos en el EXTerior
--------------------------------------------------
Son árboles que prefieren un clima mediterráneo; es decir, les gusta el frío
y el calorcito, pero no les gustan las heladas severas ni temperaturas
prolongadas por debajo de CERO. Aguantan un montonón de sequía cuando ya
están arraigados. Estoy seguro que en Colombia hay climas perfectos para los
algarrobos. Eso sí hay que esperar como quince años para empezar a cosechar.
Copio una de mis fuentes de referencia. Es de Australia y en inglés, pero el
tipo que escribió eso pasó por la novatada y sabe bastante de cómo comenzar
un cultivo y de cómo sacarle provecho comercial (si hay alguna palabreja
que no sea muy familiar, me dices, y la traduzco).
4. Carob Bean (Ceratonia siliqua)
This article on carob bean has been prepared by Andrew Gebhardt, an
innovative farmer who has pioneered carob bean production in South
Australia. The article is of interest for two reasons. Firstly, the
information on carob bean and its uses and potential is valuable as it is a
crop with very real potential for Australia. Secondly, the efforts by Mr
Gebhardt to establish the crop is one of perseverance, initiative and hard
work. The difficulties that he experienced are typical of those involved in
establishing many new crops in a new environment. We appreciate his
willingness to share his knowledge and experiences.
Andrew Gebhardt
PO Box 82
Burra, South Australia 5417
My interest in carob bean goes back to the early 1970s when I was seeking to
diversify agricultural production on my property at Burra, 180 km north of
Adelaide in South Australia. The area has a typical Mediterranean climate
with cool winters and warm to hot summers. The annual rainfall of 450 mm
predominantly falls during the winter. In the winter there are frosts with
occasional falls of snow and in the summer there are about 30 days when the
maximum temperatures are in the range 35 to 40C.
I was seeking a sustainable crop and was attracted by tree crops which I saw
as having a number of advantages. These included a deep rooting habit which
I saw as ensuring a cycling of nutrients from deep in the soil to the
foliage and thence to the soil via litter, in much the same way as in the
forest cycle. Another advantage was that trees would be long-lasting. I was
also seeking a tree species which would be subject to few pest and disease
problems, would involve little work once they were established, could be
readily harvested mechanically and which produced a valuable product that
could be readily marketed. Carob trees appeared to meet all these criteria.
The carob bean is a leguminous tree crop of the Mediterranean region with
Spain producing almost 50% of world production and Italy and Portugal a
further 25%. Total world production exceeds 300 000 tonnes.
The pods contain about 90% fruit (known as kibble) and 10% seed. The kibble
has a high sugar content of 35 to 50% and can be used as stock food or as a
feed additive. It can also be used for human consumption in the form of
ground powder or syrup. Both the powder and syrup can be used as a
flavouring in drinks, confectionery, cakes and biscuits. Carob seed is used
for the production of carob gum, a galactomannan, which is used as a high
quality thickener in food products such as ice cream, desserts and soups.
We have now been growing carob trees for 14 years and harvested our first
crop in March 1996. It has been very much a learning experience and we made
some expensive and time-consuming mistakes. Our first planting was made in
1981 using seedlings and the early field establishment was good.
Unfortunately, a severe frost late in the spring of 1982 killed all the 1982
plants and most of the 1981 plants. We replanted in 1983 but again
experienced serious losses due to frosts. We subsequently replanted and in
1985 direct seeded a further area. We protected the young seedlings with old
tyres and this, along with the direct seeding, helped us establish a good
stand. On the basis of our experience we can now recommend the following
cultural operations.
Propagation can be done from seed established in pots prior to planting out
or from pre-germinated seed sown directly into the field. The suggested
plant spacing is about 10m by 7 m which gives 110 trees/ha. Established
seedlings must be grafted as carobs are dioecious and seed usually produces
about 70% male plants. For commercial production, an orchard should contain
about 95% female plants of a superior variety. Top grafting is most
effective and is most successful when it is done to plants growing strongly.
It is recommended that about 300 g of nitrogen be applied to each tree about
3 weeks prior to grafting to stimulate growth and sap flow and improve the
success of the grafting. Trees take about 10 years before they commence
bearing and then take a further 10 years before they come to full bearing.
To facilitate mechanical harvesting the lower branches of young trees should
be removed to give a clear 1 to 1.2 m of stem above ground level. From time
to time the centre of the tree and any cross-over branches should be removed
to let light into the tree. Flowers form on wood which is at least 3 years
old so some space is required in the canopy.
Young carob trees are sensitive to wind and it is advisable to plant
windbreaks prior to establishing an orchard. Wind breaks are also of benefit
to mature trees as they reduce damage to flowers and young pods. To date, we
have experienced no diseases or pest problems of any consequence. However,
galahs have caused some problems by attacking new grafts.
Carobs are well suited to mechanical harvesting, which is seen as a
pre-requisite for production in Australia. The pods ripen fairly evenly and
by growing varieties in which the pods abscise fairly easily harvesting can
be done in a single pass. The transport of pods from the harvester to the
shed requires special equipment as the harvester can pick about 15 tonnes
per hour.
The process of breaking up the pod and separating the seed and kibble
requires a regional processing facility. The pods are passed through a slow
revving hammer mill with the output going to shaker/blower screens to
separate out the seed and the kibble. Production must currently be exported
as there is no local processing facility. It is estimated that a throughput
of at least several hundred tonnes would be required for a viable processing
operation for gum production.
Carob powder is made by gentle roasting and grinding. Carob syrup is made by
dissolving the sugars and flavour and then concentrating the mixture to a
syrup.
Australia currently imports about 1000 tonnes of carob gum per year at about
A$5.00 / kg. However, the price fluctuates widely and in 1995 the price rose
to A$32.00 /kg. Australia also imports about 60 tonnes of carob powder with
a wholesale value of about $2.00 /kg. The cost of establishing a carob
orchard is estimated at about $7500 per hectare with no return for at least
10 years. However, once the trees reach full bearing, returns should be
about $10 000 per hectare.
===========================
----- Original Message -----
From: "German Plata" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "PANG2001" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, January 04, 1980 3:26 PM
Subject: RE: Colext: Algarrobiando
> Se pueden cultivar en Colombia? en qué condiciones?
>
> Gracias
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: PANG2001 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: ColExt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 4:13 PM
> Subject: Colext: Algarrobiando
>
>
> > Colext/Macondo
> > Cantina virtual de los COLombianos en el EXTerior
> > --------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Algarrobiando (me entró la curiosidad y me puse a leer acerca de las
> > algarrobas y miren lo que encontré)
> >
> > La palabra algarroba tiene un origen arábico (Al-jarrüba y Kharrüb). En
> > latín medieval se decía Carrübium y en francés antiguo era Carobe. En
> > inglés se dice Carob.
> >
> > El algarrobo (Ceratonia siliqua) pertenece a la gran familia de las
> > leguminosas o fabáceas donde se encuentran plantas herbáceas, arbustos y
> > árboles. Bajo esta familia están el garbanzo, la soya, la lenteja, la
> > acacia, la alfalfa, la arveja, el cacahuate o maní, el mezquite, y otros
> > más.
> >
> > El algarrobo, que puede alcanzar hasta 15 metros de altura, es un árbol
> > tipo siempreviva o siempre verde. Posee ramas irregulares, hojas
lustrosas
> y
> > flores purpúreas de las que se originan unas vainas de unos 10-40
> > centímetros de largo, de color castaño, las que contienen de 5 a 15
> semillas
> > duras, rodeadas por una pulpa dulce y edible.
> >
> > Estos árboles tuvieron su origen en el área occidental de Asia y en el
> área
> > del Mediterráneo. España produce cerca del 50% del total mundial. Italia
y
> > Portugal producen otro 25%. La producción total mundial rebasa las 300
000
> > toneladas. Su cultivo y aprovechamiento se ha extendido a sitios tales
> como
> > Inglaterra, Australia, y la Florida y California en Norte América,
sitios
> > estos donde su producción está en aumento.
> >
> > Hay quienes creen que San Juan Bautista sobrevivió en algún momento a
base
> > de algarrobas y de ahí el nombre de pan de San Juan que se le da a ellas
> en
> > algunos lugares. Aparentemente el hijo pródigo, cuando desperdició su
> > herencia y terminó de sirviente, comía de las vainas con que alimentaba
a
> > los cerdos que tenía que cuidar, siendo éstas posiblemente vainas de
> > algarroba.
> >
> > Las algarrobas han sido una fuente nutricional por más de 5000 años. El
> > griego Teofrasto dijo (año 4 AC) que sus contemporarios les daban el
> nombre
> > de higos egipcios. Los antiguos egipcios extraían la goma de la
algarroba
> > para usarla como pegante adhesivo al envolver las momias. Los romanos
> > masticaban las algarrobas verdes y frescas por aquello de la dulzura
> > natural. En la isla de Chipre, después de la cosecha, hacen lo que
llaman
> > ''pastelli'' y también usan mucho la «miel» de algarrobas para untar en
el
> > pan.
> >
> > Las algarrobas son ricas en proteína (80%) y contienen vitaminas A, B1,
> B2,
> > B3 y D. Son ricas en calcio, fósforo, potasio y magnesio y también
> contienen
> > hierro, manganeso, bario, cobre y níquel. La vaina es una gran fuente de
> > productos alimenticios incluyendo un sustituto del chocolate. Como son
> > naturalmente dulces, entonces no contienen toda la azúcar que se le debe
> > añadir a los productos a base de chocolate.
> >
> > Fuera de todo esto, son populares porque no tienen cafeína (como el
> café),
> > teofilina (como el té), ni teobromina (como el chocolate). Tampoco
> > contienen feniletilamina ni tiramina, causas frecuentes de los ataques
de
> > migraña, ni ácido oxálico (sustancia que interfiere con la utilización
de
> > calcio y zinc).
> >
> > En la actualidad solamente las vainas se utilizan para hacer un
compuesto
> > pulverizado. Este polvo se usa para hacer bebidas que reemplazan al
> > chocolate, para hacer galletas carmelitas (brownies) y hasta para hacer
> > dulces que se pueden comprar en cajitas para regalo (una marca es, por
> > ejemplo, Scruples!T)
> >
> > NOTA: hay mucho más, pero ya me cansé.... Si hay interés por un par de
> > recetas gringas, me dicen y las pongo en otro mensaje.
> >
> > PANG============
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------
> > To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > with UNSUBSCRIBE COLEXT as the BODY of the message.
> >
> > Un archivo de colext puede encontrarse en:
> > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
> > cortesia de Anibal Monsalve Salazar
> >
>
>
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