ISHS Acta Horticulturae 331: WOCMAP I - Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Conference: part 3 of 4
AGRONOMIC AND CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF THREE "VARIETIES" OF FOENICULUM VULGARE MILL. |
| Authors: | M. Marotti, V. Dellacecca, R. Piccaglia, E. Giovanelli |
| Keywords: | fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, Apiaceae, yield, essential oil, GC-MS |
| Abstract:
Three varieties of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Apiaceae family): sweet, bitter and Florence, were performance tested as to agronomic and chemical parameters monitored at the stages of full bloom, waxy seed and seed ripening. Sweet fennel showed the highest seeds (fruits) and essential oil yields particularly when the biomass was harvested at the waxy seed stage. Bitter and Florence varieties produced the highest biomass amount at full bloom. Chemical essential oil analyses were performed by GC and the compounds identified by GC-MS. The main component of essential oil was trans-anethole, which ranged from 81 to 88% in the oils from seeds and 49 to 75% in those from whole plants, the latter being marked by high amounts of limonene. The highest oil yields (kg ha-1) were found in plants harvested at waxy seed maturity in all three varieties particularly in sweet fennel. | |
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