Erythroxylum novogranatense

[Guest electro]

Is there any information out there on the growth of this species - all the data seems to A: how to kill it or b: how to turn it into a drug of abuse.

Also is there any detailed info on traditional uses ?

Any input appreciated

[ 30. March 2005, 13:39: Message edited by: electro ]

[Torsten]

there appear to be a few people growing this in northern NSW, but they seem to do so on a regular basis... ie, it seems even this area is too marginal. But then again the cultivation problems could be unrelated to the climate. I don't know anyone personally who grows this.

[Guest electro]

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[ 30. March 2005, 13:39: Message edited by: electro ]

[gomaos]

Is there any information out there on growing this species

there is NO information on the net...

the only thing that can be found:

"In peru the natives plant it in spring in the shade"

great information, that

[smogs]

yeah ive been told that sydny weatehr i almost identical to california... rainfall temp humidity etc

so could be a chance

also found this on erowid..

"Yes, coca can be grown from seeds, as well as from cuttings. The seeds are illegal in most countries however, and they die within a few weeks of being collected, so they can't be stored. This makes commercial sales of the seeds difficult even in countries where they are legal.

Some varieties of coca are adapted to lower altitudes, but in general the potency is higher in high altitude plants. Coca is grown in some countries outside of South America, such as Indonesia, Australia and some Asian countries. The closely related species Erythroxylum novogranatense (which also contains cocaine) is also grown in Australia.

Not that it's not possible, but we've never heard of anyone growing Coca hydroponically. If seeds or a cutting were obtained, it might be more successful to simulate the plant's natural environment as closely as possible rather than trying to grow hydroponically. Even if you grew plants which were low in cocaine, the leaves are still very nutritious and the plant would be a very unique collector's item. This would, of course, be illegal in most countries."

[ 31. January 2004, 09:42: Message edited by: smogs ]

[gomaos]

That still doesn't give you any instructions on how to grow it....

[theobromos]

There is a bit of information on how to grow it at:

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/fr/bulletin/bul..._3_page003.html

There was a long thread in which I gave the US Govt approved instructions (and broke the forum rules on another matter, I am told) but the search function here doesn't seem to work. A specific search word would be "acock"

[theobromos]

I have it on file, so here it is again and pay attention this time, gomaos. Together with the Bolivian report you should have it about covered.

*************************************************************************

The most important bit was that plenty of cocaine, 0.6-1.22%, was produced by both E. coca and E. novogranatense at about 22 metres (72 feet) above sea-level.

These two species they referred to as Coca and Novo, respectively.

Mary C. Acock et al Annals of Botany (1996) 78; 49-53

Produced at some USDA/ARS laboratories at Beltsville, Maryland. I looked this up just now and it seems to be at an average of 22 metres above sea-level and is close to the coast. They don't quite say they raised them at their own laboratories but give the latitude at which they were grown, the latitude of Beltsville is the 39ºN they quote.

The compost was a mixture of greenhouse potting media (sandy loam) and Promix BX (not a Govt endorsement, they say) 7:3 by volume. pH 6.1, 4.7% organic matter. Water as needed. Fed 125 ml of Peters soluble fertiliser (N:P:K = 20:8.7:16.6) at an N conc of 500 mg l¯¹ every fourth watering [surely continuous feed is generally better?].

Novo, they said, is clearly the more vegetatively vigorous of the two, outproducing Coca by 118%. It also preferred high light levels, confirming the previous reports that Coca was a shade-lover but Novo was a full sun plant.

For both it was said that temperature over 35ºC retarded growth in previous reports and the plants they had on a day/night cycle of 35ºC/31ºC in this study failed. Previous reports had said that temps going under 10ºC also retarded growth.

The optimum temperatures for production were 30ºC/26ºC for both species. The optimum Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density was 250 µmol m¯² s¯¹ for Coca and 400 µmol m¯² s¯¹ for Novo. This was in the second year, they were greenhouse-grown for the first year then transferred to growth chambers with cool white fluorescents. They were given a 12 hour cycle for light/dark, but the first 90 minutes were spent fading in and the last 90 minutes were fading out to simulate outside light conditions (presumably in Northern Peru).

Humidity was controlled to a vapour pressure deficit of 1.13 kPa.

Their second harvest of leaf was after 19.5 months from seed. The young leaf was said to be low concentration compared to the mature leaf. The bench space required in the growth chamber for nine plants was 0.9 x 0.75 m. Headspace was not given.

[Stonehenge]

I saw a message once from someone who claimed he had grown it and he said the high elevation theory was a crock. He said soil, temps and things like that were much more important than the elevation. Is there any plant that really can't be grown at low elevations? There may be but I've never heard of it. I'd love to find some seeds, anybody know a good source? I know of one but he is greedy.

Stoney

[Adrian]

I know of people growing this as far south as Melbourne (assumeably indoors/ greenhouse).

I think it just needs to be kept in warmish conditions i.e 15-25C.

I'm pretty sure you can pick one of these beauties up for around $185 through somebody on these or the ethnobotany australia forums.

It's a plant I consider giving a go at growing in a few years when I've got a nice patch of land to use up north.

[Alcaline]

In one of the botanical gardens i use to go, I discover last year two very uncomon plants in a greenhouse recently established: Erytroxylum novogranatense and E. coca (so close than i can even touch them :D )

They are growing vigorously with hot and humid conditions. The other plants growing nearby are papaye, cacao, bananas, .. The soil is a classic potting mix.

Morover the plants gives lot of red fleshy fruits in spring, and some germinate spontaneously under both.. (does someone know if they are legal in Europe??) I think those plant wont last lot of time in such a way.

AlcaLine (P.S. sory for my very poor english)

[ 02. February 2004, 23:48: Message edited by: Alcaline ]

[theobromos]

Not sure about other countries, but in the UK it is legal to grow any coca plant if there is no intention to use it for its content of cocaine.

The seeds also contain cocaine so importing it could lead to a very interesting test case in the courts.

Don't apologise for your English, how good do you think my French and Dutch are?

[Adrian]

but in the UK it is legal to grow any coca plant Theo: well you ought to get busy then

[theobromos]

I don't like cocaine and I am not in England. Us poms like ter go walkabout, cobber. Which is a lie as it is the only time I have moved in my life.

[Piers Gibbon]

afaik it is very definitely ILLEGAL to grow any erythrox in the UK

[theobromos]

And how far do you know? Unless they introduced the law within the last 10 years there is no law against cultivation of any drug plant in the UK except cannabis. Even the laws against opium growing are specific for production of the illegal not the cultivation.

[Piers Gibbon]

theobromos:

And how far do you know?  Unless they introduced the law within the last 10 years there is no law against cultivation of any drug plant in the UK except cannabis.  Even the laws against opium growing are specific for production of the illegal not the cultivation.

all true...however here's the deal with mama coca

- the leaves of erythrox themselves are illegal in the uk..that presumably makes possession of a healthy erythrox plant illegal, and deliberately giving it water and sunlight would really run the risk of producing more of those pesky leaves

[theobromos]

Read it carefully, and visit the originals on BritGovNet:

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2001/20013998.htm

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2001/20013997.htm

Note that it is "substances and products", I think you will find that the "substances" are the chemicals and the "products" are the result of processing, it is if you remove the leaves and dry them that it would be illegal. A very fine distinction but a viable defence in law, I believe. But I am not a lawyer.

You can get legal advice for free if you are a British citizen and there are voluntary organisations that supply legal advice to drug law victims who would be happy to give their opinions.

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS © Her Maj's Stationery Office and whichever bunch of jerks she surrendered her crown privileges to this time. (Hope that is enough to stop them throwing me in the Tower for the treasonous part-copying of their material)

2001 No. 3997

DANGEROUS DRUGS

The Misuse of Drugs (Designation) Order 2001

SCHEDULE

PART I

CONTROLLED DRUGS TO WHICH SECTION 7(4) OF THE MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1971 APPLIES

1. The following substances and products, namely: -

Blah, blah

Coca leaf

Blah blah.

[Piers Gibbon]

thanks for the brilliant defence m'lud and just the sort of thing lawyers love to discuss..is that leaf a product when its still growing? is it a leaf until its dropped off?

best keep that greenhouse well swept..if just one leaf should fall and dry out on the floor...

kafka would be proud

[theobromos]

I think the judges usually take the view that the sense as meant by the composers of the law is taken rather than the most ridiculous extension of definition.

What we need is a good precedent, any volunteers?

[sketchykid]

Hmm, old thread that's for sure.

Well I can confirm that this most definitely grows in Australia - Brisbane and Northern NSW climate to my knowledge.