ISHS Acta Horticulturae 344: International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
AGRONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING THE YIELDS AND THE ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOSITION OF PEPPERMINT (MENTHA X PIPERITA L.). |
| Authors: | R. Piccaglia, V. Dellacecca, M. Marotti, E. Giovanelli |
| Keywords: | peppermint, planting time, mineral fertilization, yield, essential oil, GC-MS |
| Abstract:
The peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) cultivar"Italo - Mitcham", was test-grown in northern Italian conditions and performance-assessed as to planting date, nitrogen and phosphorus inputs, crop age and essential oil yield and composition in a two-year trial; essential oils were analysed by GC-MS. Autumn-planting in the first year resulted in taller plants, higher oil content and yield and even in earlier bloom. Nitrogen dressing increased biomass and oil yield but decreased the percentage of leaves over biomass. No effects of planting date and mineral inputs were observed on oil parameters. The comparison between the first and second-year crop and the first and second cutting showed that the ageing of the crop diminished biomass yield, plant height and leaf size and produced oils with higher menthofuran and menthylacetate content. | |
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