At the company naturamus at the foot of the Swabian Alb, there is a high demand for high-quality essential oils for medicines and natural cosmetics. There is much to be said for growing lavender locally. The ecological cultivation of the lavender fields would help to increase the proportion of organic farming in the country and save transport costs.

The cultivation of lavender on the Alb means breaking new ground. The University of Hohenheim is therefore testing five different varieties at four locations, for example at Sonnenhof near Bad Boll. Initial results are expected at the end of the year.

During the extraction of the essential oils, a large amount of residual material is produced that has not yet been utilized. Fibers for textiles can be obtained from the lavender stalk. Developments and analyses with this renewable raw material are already underway at the DITF. In order to utilize lavender distillation residues, the plant stalks with their fiber bundles must be broken down, i.e., separated into their components. Within a fiber bundle, the lignified individual fibers are firmly bound together by plant sugar, pectin. This connection is to be dissolved, for example, with bacteria or with enzymes.