ISHS Acta Horticulturae 629: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: The Future for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
PROPAGATION AND IRRIGATION REGIME AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CATNIP |
| Authors: | R. St. Hilaire, A.W. Hockman, S.M. Chavez |
| Keywords: | Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), Nepeta cataria, nepetalactones, stomatal conductance |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.629.41 |
| Abstract:
Historically, catnip (Nepeta cataria) has been used as a cat toy filler and medicinal tea, but recent research has shown catnip was 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the compound used in most commercial bug repellents. We determined propagation strategies and irrigation regimes for the production of catnip. Adventitious root formation and the subsequent development of rooted cuttings were determined for terminal and single-node cuttings of catnip treated with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and rooted and grown for different time intervals. After eight-week production period and averaged over all IBA treatments, terminal cuttings propagated for 2 or 3 weeks had more dry weight (DW) allocated to shoots than roots compared to cuttings propagated for 4 weeks. Single-node cuttings propagated for two or three weeks had more and longer roots than those propagated for three weeks. Also, we determined whether irrigating plants every 2, 5, and 10 d for 12 weeks influenced physiological, anatomical, and growth traits of catnip. Plants irrigated every 10 d had the lowest root and shoot DW which averaged 142 and 19 g/plant, respectively. Plants irrigated every 10 d had the lowest leaf area (934 cm2), while leaves watered every 2 and 5 d had the thickest leaves. In another experiment, plants were irrigated every 2, 5, and 10 d for 6 weeks. Stomatal conductance of plants irrigated every 10 days was reduced to as little as 82 % of plants watered every 2 d. Biomass production was similar in plants watered every 2 or 5 d. In conclusion, irrigating catnip every 10 d reduces dry mass, but irrigating every 5 d might conserve water without compromising biomass production. | |
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