OKRA - ABELMOSCHUS-ESCULENTUS L. (MOENCH.) A CROP WITH ECONOMIC-POTENTIAL FOR SET-ASIDE ACREAGE IN FRANCE

The European community has commissioned a programme for the developmen t of non-food plants with economic potential (project AIR 3-CT-1236). In this project, five varieties of okra (Veludo, Bogiatou, Pyleas, Lev adias and Kilkis) were cultivated in 1994 on an experimental plot in t he south-west of France (near Mont de Marsan). Three varieties (Veludo , Pyles and Kilkis) were also cultivated in 1995 in a Mediterranean ar ea near Narbonne (France). The plants appeared to be suited to the wet climate of Mont de Marsan and the hotter, drier climate of Narbonne. Contents in hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were determined in all the parts of the plant. Concerning the hemicellulose content of the s tem, the richest varieties are Veludo and Bogiatou (17%); Veludo has t he highest content of hemicellulose in the dry, mature fruits (19%). C oncerning the seed oil content, Levadias and Pyleas had a high content of palmitic acid (28%) and Kilkis a high content of linoleic acid (52 %). Oil content was 15-19% in all varieties. The Bogiatou and Levadias varieties produced a cake containing more than 30% proteins. The yiel d in oil, the quality of its proteins and the use of the stem in paper -making, indicate that okra has economic potential for cultivation on set aside acreage in this part of Europe. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B. V.