SAPIROOT: Horseradish and angelica as flavouring ingredients for the food industry

Resilient and sustainable agrifood systems

Met de steun van:

Sapiroot builds on the work of the Aroma-roots project and focuses on optimising the cultivation of horseradish and angelica to ensure these crops become sufficiently robust for farmers. The project investigates, among other aspects, seed treatment, cultivation strategies and new application domains in order to expand the market opportunities for these crops.

Why this project?

Thanks to the research carried out within the Aroma-roots project, farmers have made significant progress in increasing yields and optimising post-harvest storage of horseradish and angelica. This laid the foundation for the development of an economically viable value chain linking farmers, processors and end users. This is confirmed by the growing interest from the agricultural sector in these aromatic crops and by the increasing number of farmers participating in the Sapiroot project.

The ultimate objective of Sapiroot is to further optimise the cultivation of horseradish and angelica so that these crops become sufficiently robust and agronomically reliable for practical application. From a cultivation perspective, several aspects still require further clarification, including yield stability, quality parameters, and harvesting and storage strategies.

In addition, it is necessary to develop additional application domains in order to create a sufficiently broad and stable market for these root crops and potential side streams. Within the food industry, there is particular interest in the content and quality of the aromatic oil.

Research approach and expected results

Within the Sapiroot agricultural trajectory (LA), applied research is combined with knowledge exchange. Experimental field plots will be established to address bottlenecks such as the efficiency of seed treatment, the choice between annual and perennial cultivation systems, and the impact of these choices on yield and oil quality. In addition, new application domains will be explored, including horseradish peroxidase, potential activity as emulsion stabilisers, glucosinolates (GLS), and possible inhibitory effects on nematodes.

The project also focuses on developing new application domains and attracting markets within the food industry, extraction companies and biobased crop protection. Planned activities include mechanisation trials, variety trials and quality analyses, supplemented by economic evaluations and market studies. The aim is to establish a profitable value chain with a broader network of farmers and processors, new market outlets and proven added value for both industry and agriculture.

The ultimate outcome is a sustainable expansion of root crop cultivation in Flanders, contributing to increased biodiversity and greater economic security for farmers. A key objective is that, during the project, companies (both agricultural enterprises and suppliers and customers) actively take steps towards implementation and/or follow-up research at company level.

Target group

Sapiroot primarily targets the primary sector, more specifically growers of open-field crops. Both conventional and organic farms are eligible, regardless of farm size. Secondly, Sapiroot addresses extraction companies that process aromas from root crops into stable semi-finished products, such as essential oils. A third target group consists of industrial players that process fresh plant material or extracted aromas into end products. A fourth category includes companies focusing on the development of biobased crop protection products.

The root crops involved have potential applications in a wide range of sectors, including the food industry, animal feed industry, food supplement sector, beverage industry, as well as the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and biobased crop protection industries.

Dataplatform Aromaroots

On the Aroma-roots platform, cultivation guidelines for angelica and horseradish can still be consulted. New cultivation information will be added throughout the duration of the Sapiroot project.

Dataplatform Aromaroots

Projectpartners

Flanders’ FOOD manages and coordinates the project. Implementation is carried out by:

ILVO Plant (Merelbeke-Melle) led by Gerda Cnops (gerda.cnops@ilvo.vlaanderen.be) en Aurélie Tredé (aurelie.trede@ilvo.vlaanderen.be)
Boerenbond (Leuven) led by Lukas Puffet (lukas.puffet@boerenbond.be)
Praktijkpunt Landbouw Vlaams-Brabant led by Evi Matthyssen (evi.matthyssen@vlaamsbrabant.be)

Participation

The Sapiroot project started on 01/01/2026 and will run until 31/12/2029 (project duration: 4 years). Participation is possible throughout this period.