Articles
Water productivity of essential oil yield and quality of six selected essential oil crops as affected by varying temperature and irrigation regimes
Article number
1409_59
Pages
467 – 474
Language
English
Abstract
Essential oil crop water productivity (WP) is a key issue in arid and semi-arid areas, where crop production relies on the use of limited water supply.
Therefore, this study investigated the influence of varying air temperature and irrigation regimes on water productivity of essential oil yield and quality of six selected essential oil crops.
A glasshouse experiment was carried out from September 2020 to May 2022 at the Agricultural Research Council – Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants (ARC-VIMP), Pretoria, South Africa.
Rose geranium, rosemary, lemon balm, marjoram, thyme, and yarrow were treated with different levels of water supply applied through drip irrigation (high, medium and low irrigation levels applied three times, twice and once a day, respectively) under different temperature regimes of 11.0-26.7, 12.6-33.1, and 16.7-36.6°C. The highest most significant oil yield and major compound WP were obtained under the following conditions for different crops: 1) yarrow – high temperature and moderate irrigation (0.7 and 0.3 g m-3
-elemene); 2) lemon balm – low temperature and high irrigation (3.2 and 0.5 g m-3 geranial); 3) marjoram – medium to high levels of both temperature and irrigation (0.4 and 0.1 g m-3 terpinen4-ol); 4) thyme – high levels of both temperature and irrigation (3.0 and 0.6 g m-3 p-cymene); 5) rose geranium – high temperature and low irrigation (9.9 and 3.3 g m-3 citronellol); and 6) rosemary – low levels of both temperature and irrigation (5.8 and 3.1 g m-3 1,8-cineole). All the six studied crops were best cultivated under relatively high temperature and high irrigation regimes, except rose geranium and rosemary which required low irrigation.
For optimum water productivity, yarrow, lemon balm, marjoram and thyme should be irrigated at high levels of irrigation, while low irrigation is recommended for rose geranium and rosemary.
This will ensure increased irrigation water and nutrient savings, while preserving the environment.
Therefore, this study investigated the influence of varying air temperature and irrigation regimes on water productivity of essential oil yield and quality of six selected essential oil crops.
A glasshouse experiment was carried out from September 2020 to May 2022 at the Agricultural Research Council – Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants (ARC-VIMP), Pretoria, South Africa.
Rose geranium, rosemary, lemon balm, marjoram, thyme, and yarrow were treated with different levels of water supply applied through drip irrigation (high, medium and low irrigation levels applied three times, twice and once a day, respectively) under different temperature regimes of 11.0-26.7, 12.6-33.1, and 16.7-36.6°C. The highest most significant oil yield and major compound WP were obtained under the following conditions for different crops: 1) yarrow – high temperature and moderate irrigation (0.7 and 0.3 g m-3
-elemene); 2) lemon balm – low temperature and high irrigation (3.2 and 0.5 g m-3 geranial); 3) marjoram – medium to high levels of both temperature and irrigation (0.4 and 0.1 g m-3 terpinen4-ol); 4) thyme – high levels of both temperature and irrigation (3.0 and 0.6 g m-3 p-cymene); 5) rose geranium – high temperature and low irrigation (9.9 and 3.3 g m-3 citronellol); and 6) rosemary – low levels of both temperature and irrigation (5.8 and 3.1 g m-3 1,8-cineole). All the six studied crops were best cultivated under relatively high temperature and high irrigation regimes, except rose geranium and rosemary which required low irrigation.For optimum water productivity, yarrow, lemon balm, marjoram and thyme should be irrigated at high levels of irrigation, while low irrigation is recommended for rose geranium and rosemary.
This will ensure increased irrigation water and nutrient savings, while preserving the environment.
Authors
J. Malaka, P. Soundy, H. Araya, C.P. du Plooy, S. Amoo, N.A. Araya
Keywords
lemon balm, marjoram, rose geranium, rosemary, thyme, yarrow
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