Data and observations on variety degeneration in peppermint
1992
Tan, P.V. (Kerteszeti es Elelmiszerip. Egyet., Budapest (Hungary))
In a 2-year field experiment, studies were made on the reasons for the degeneration of peppermint. Seed samples were taken from the experimental varieties N-1000, FOL-98, B-85, B-81 and T-81 which gave 4, 5, 2, 4 and 4 seeds, resp., and 5 "wild" types among which two gave 80 and 100 seeds, resp. In both years of the experiment the volatile oil content and composition were analyzed for plants cut at the beginning of flowering. Among the "wild" types, only one had a volatile oil content comparable to that of the T-81 taxon, while that of the others was only a fraction of this. The growth and reproduction ability of the "wild" plants were many times greater than those of the cultivated varieties and their seeds had greater germination ability and shorter emergence time. It would appear from the experiment that the degeneration of peppermint stands after a number of years is caused by "wild" plants growing from seed, although these are few in number, their more vigorous growth and reproduction ability means that in a short time they spoil the performance of the stand
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