Interspecific hybridization in lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) breeding for essential oil quality

Lavandin cultivars ( Lavandula х intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) are sterile interspecies hybrids Lavandula angustifolia Mill. х L. latifolia Medic. They are of great interest for the essential oil industry. Lavandin cultivars express 1.5-2-fold higher yields of raw biomass and essential oil production, as well as 4-fold higher essential oil yield per area unit as compared to the used lavender cultivars. World production of lavandin essential oil is 1200 thousand tons, and lavender oil production is only 200 thousand tons. However, the quality of lavandin essential oil is lower compared to lavender one because of camphor, 1,8-cineole and borneol significant amounts. Besides, it is impossible to use lavandin cultivars in further breeding works, as they are sterile. The main trend in lavandin breeding is to improve the essential oil quality by reducing unwanted components to a minimum. In order to create lavandin hybrids characterized by high essential oil quality we had first synthesized tetraploid forms of L...