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Cultivated Agarwood came into existence around 2 decades ago. Humans realised that it is no longer viable to obtain wild agarwood due to its impending extinction. Under a plantation setting, humans tried to mimic how Aquilaria trees would get injured in the nature, so as to develop resin from them. This is a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. Cultivated agarwood are not expensive, one could get it for USD1-5 per gram, depending on the grade. You might wonder that even at this price point, it is not considered very cheap. But one has to understand that it takes 5-8 years for a planted Aquilaria tree to grow mature before inoculation could be done to infect these trees. Upon maturity, 5-6 months of inoculation is required for growth of lower grade agarwood. Depending on the grade, some trees might take a longer period before a good harvest is possible. The time spent on harvesting plantation agarwood takes a minimum 5 years. The cost of man hours and maintenance of these trees make Agarwood plantation a heavy investment and thus investors would expect higher returns. Nonetheless, plantation agarwood is the cheaper option for public usage. 3 Ways to Cultivate agarwood (1) Inject it with “vitamins” Chemical inoculation is the most common method to mimic bacterial infection of Aquilaria trees. However, when you burn these agarwood, there is a slight scent of sourness either at the beginning or end of burning. Compared to wild agarwood, plantation ones could not produce long-lasting scent. The scent would not stay within a space over long periods of time. Inoculation done to mimic bacterial infection inside the Aquilaria trees. It is said that these are organic non-toxic chemicals. Very nice resin that usually stays on the surface. Best way to authenticate is through burning and observing the tinge of sourness. ------------------------------- (2) Drill it through! Rusty nails being hammered through the Aquilaira trees. This is done to inflict injury, as well as trigger possible bacterial infection. This result in a fully injured Aquilaira tree after the drilling. To accelerate the process of resin development, some planters might pour chemicals into the holes. Patchy aloes resin separated by white Aquilaria wood. If you turn it on the side, you would find a see through hole. Consistent shape with a hole in between the agarwood are the results of drilling. ------------------------------- (3) LET IT BURN! Burning the Aquiaria tree from its tree bark would mimic the natural environment of forest fires or lightning inflicted fire. Such a process would trigger the tree to produce aloes resin beneath the bark. Flat pieces of agarwood sheet cultivated through burning of bark. --------------------------------- Special Mention – plantation kinam In China, agricultural scientists have developed a method of grafting stems from trees that produce kinam onto normal Aquilaria Sinensis trees. Under a controlled condition, up to 80% of these grafted Aquilaria Sinensis tree saplings could produce cultivated kinam when matured. The same methods of inoculation, drilling and burning would apply to these trees for them to produce kinam. Do note that the end product of cultivated kinam looks similar in shape as those cultivated agarwood.
September 18 2024, 00:09:00
Zhi Wen is an inspiring expert in the field of agarwood, known for his deep proficiency and knowledge of this precious material. His expertise has enabled him to share the immense benefits of premium agarwood with a wide audience. Through his passion and dedication, Zhi Wen has developed his own premium brand of agarwood, offering a range of product levels that cater to different needs, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and authenticity.
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