THE NEW THYMUS VULGARIS L. HYBRID CULTIVAR ‘VARICO 3’ COMPARED TO FIVE ESTABLISHED CULTIVARS FROM GERMANY, FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND

In order to optimise quality and yield performance of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) a breeding programme was carried out and 56 new hybrids were obtained by crossing male sterile and male fertile clones.
These hybrids were tested from 2000 to 2002 by evaluating homogeneity, yield in dry weight and essential oil, winter frost tolerance, as well as seed production potential of the parents.
The most promising hybrid was named ‘Varico 3’ and was then compared to five established cultivars from Germany, Switzerland and France in mountain regions of Switzerland (920 m a.s.l.) in 2007 and 2008. The trial was harvested once in 2007 and twice in 2008. The two thymol-chemotype cultivars ‘Varico 3’ and ‘Varico 2’ showed the highest dry weight yields. ‘Deutscher Winter’, also a thymol-chemotype, had the lowest essential oil content with less than 3%. ‘Varico 3’ and ‘Varico 2’ contents were much higher with 4.9% and 3.5%, respectively.
The highest essential oil contents were obtained with the three French cultivars, but with lower dry matter production.
In general, the hybrid cultivars showed a higher homogeneity than the population cultivar ‘Deutscher Winter’. In conclusion, the new hybrid cultivar ‘Varico 3’ can be recommended for the producers in Switzerland and middle Europe and for the industries looking for thymol-chemotype thyme.

IV International Symposium on Breeding Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants – ISBMAP2009

C. Carlen, M. Schaller, C.A. Carron, J.F. Vouillamoz, C.A. Baroffio

breeding, essential oil, homogeneity, thyme, yield

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.860.23