Agroforestry Services: Crop shade  Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Agroforestry Services: Living trellis  Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Industrial Crop: Dye  Industrial Crop: Fiber  Industrial Crop: Gum  Management: Standard  Minor Global Crop

Annatto requires a frost-free, warm, humid climate. It can grow at elevations from sea level up to 2,200 metres in tropical to subtropical climates where a mean annual rainfall of 2,500 - 5,000mm is distributed throughout the year[ 303 ]. It can withstand droughts of up to 4 months, but thrives best with well distributed rainfall and a dry season for seed ripening[ 418 ]. It prefers a mean annual temperature in the range 28 - 32°c, with a mean maximum temperature of 22 - 27°c and a mean minimum temperature of 18 - 26°c[ 303 ]. An easily grown plant, it succeeds on almost all soil types, preferring a moist, but well-drained neutral or slightly alkaline soil in a sunny position[ 301 , 303 ]. Prefers a slightly acid soil according to another report[ 307 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7.5, tolerating 4.5 - 8.5[ 418 ]. It grows into a larger tree when planted in deeper and more fertile soil, rich in organic matte[ 303 ]. Plants commence fruiting when quite young[ 200 ]. Trees can commence bearing fruit when only 2 years old[ 377 , 418 ]. Seed-grown plants take longer to flower than vegetatively propagated ones, and do so sparingly. Under favourable conditions, fruiting commences 18 months from planting or earlier, and full crops of seeds are obtained after 3 - 4 years[ 303 ]. Seed yields reach their peak when the trees are 4 - 5 years of age, usually a decline become evident around 12 years, but productivity can continue for up to 20 years[ 418 ]. Seed yields from 0.5 - 5 tonnes/ha per year have been reported, but usually yields are between 800 - 1,500 kg/ha[ 418 ]. 20 - 50g of dye can be obtained from 1 kilo of seed[ 418 ]. In Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, flowering occurs mainly in spring and fruiting chiefly in the summer[ 303 ]. In some areas the tree can produce flushes of fruits at several times through the year[ 377 ].

Carbon Farming

• Agroforestry Services: Crop shade  Plants providing crop shade especially trees.
• Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
• Agroforestry Services: Living trellis  Plants to physically support other crops.
• Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.
• Industrial Crop: Dye  Botanical dyes replacing synthetic dyes (known as heavy polluters).
• Industrial Crop: Fiber  Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
• Industrial Crop: Gum  Used as thickeners and gelling agents. Non-destructively harvested gums come from tapped trees and seed.
• Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
• Minor Global Crop  These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.