Mineral nutrition, growth and essential oil of Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum grown in solution culture with different levels of iron
2001
Yeritsyan, N.
Nutritional peculiarities, growth parameters, essential oil content and quality of Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum plants grown in nutrient solution with 3 different levels of iron (2; 5; 10.5 mg/1) were studied. At the end of the cultivation period plants at 5mg/1 iron supply had higher values for shoot dry weight compared with that of 2mg/1 plants, and higher values for root dry weight compared with 10.5mg/1 plants. However leaf dry weight in all three iron treatments was not significantly different. The response of the plant growth parameters to iron treatments was found to be time-dependent. Leaf tissue Zn, Mn, and Cu content decreased with increasing Fe concentration in the nutrient solution, suggesting and antagonistic relationship between iron and the other elements mentioned. Older (lower) leaves had a higher accumulation of K, Ca, Mo, B, Mn and Zn in comparison with younger (upper) ones, while the opposite is true for the distribution of N and P. The distribution of Mg and Cu was uniform in the plant tissues. The nutrient removal by the plants reached its maximum at the seed formation period. From January to May there was an increase in leaf concentration of N, P, Mn and Mo. The opposite was found for Ca and Fe, while the concentration of Mg, Zn and B remained fairly constant. There was an increase in the accumulation of P and K in the leaf tissue over time from March to April, followed by a decrease in May. In the roots, P, Ca, and Mn content increased, Mg, and Mo decreased, Fe and Cu remained unchanged, while K, Zn, and B concentrations increased form March to April, but declined in May. The essential oil content in the low Fe treatment (2mg.1) tended to be higher than at 10.5 mg/1 and was found to be more intense in inflorescence and upper leaves, gradually decreasing to the lower ones. The concentation of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation increased over time from March to May. Carvacrol, g-terpinene and p-cymene were not affected by iron treatment. More g-terpinene was found in the upper leaves, while the percentages of carvacrol and p-cymene were higher in lower leaves. From January to May carvacrol percentage remained unchanged, g-terpinene decreased, while p-cymene increased in the plants.
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This bibliographic record has been provided by Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari