Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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WORKING GROUP ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS: FIRST MEETING
In another study, a sample of 52 Origanum spp. were collected from 12 provinces situated
in the Aegean and West Mediterranean regions of Turkey. Samples of 10 species
(O. sipyleum L., O. onites L., O. majorana L., O. vulgare L., O. saccatum P.H.Davis,
O. syriacum L., O. hypericifolium O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis, O. laevigatum Boiss. and O. bilgeri
P.H.Davis) and two hybrids (O. sipyleum x O. vulgare subsp. hirtum, O. onites x O. vulgare
subsp. hirtum) belonging to Anatolican, Chilocalyx, Majarona, Prolaticorolla, Amaracus and
Origanum sections were investigated for 40 characters (Kıtıkı et al. 1997). The chromosome
numbers of O. vulgare, O. sipyleum and O. onites were found as 2n=30. The samples could not
be distinguished by their cytological characters. Principal component analysis (PCA) was
applied on morphological and anatomic characters. According to PCA results, the Anatolican
section formed a distinct group from the main group which consists of other sections and
hybrids.
A breeding programme has been continued on O. onites L. since 1992. Initiation material
was constituted by 5000 single plants originating from different locations in western and
southwestern Turkey. Today, two groups of selected lines consisting of four and three lines
having similar morphological and agronomic characters, high yield and quality, are grown
to develop two synthetic lines. There will be two commercial synthetic varieties in a few
years.
Sage (Salvia officinalis L.)
The effect of nitrogen application (0, 80 and 160 kg/ha) and six different cropping systems
on Salvia officinalis L. (common sage) were investigated in three locations for three years,
between 1991 and 1993. Green herb, drug herb, drug leaf, essential oil %, essential oil yield,
dry matter, plant height, plant nutrient composition (Mg, N, Na, K, Ca and P) and
composition of essential oil were examined. Only the results for drug leaf yield and essential
oil % are presented here (Table 3).
Table 3. The effects of six planting patterns and three nitrogen levels on drug leaf yields and essential
oil % of sage (Salvia officinalis L.)
Drug leaf yield
(kg/ha)
Essential oil
(%)
Row space
45 cm 70 cm 11.5 cm 22.5 cm 12.5 cm 25 cm Mean
N 0 9560 7650 7510 7560 7550 7690 7920
N 80 9350 7530 8860 8560 8680 8810 8630
N 160 9400 7570 7850 8130 8040 8800 8300
Mean 9440 7580 8070 8080 8090 8430 8280
N 0 1.89 1.90 1.88 1.91 1.85 1.83 1.88
N 80 1.83 1.81 1.89 1.85 1.87 1.96 1.87
N 160 1.84 1.76 1.81 1.81 1.80 1.88 1.82
Mean 1.85 1.82 1.86 1.86 1.84 1.89 1.85
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.)
Eleven lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) populations originating from different sources in
Turkey and European countries were investigated for three years in two ecologically
different locations, Menemen and Bozdağ, to find out the populations giving high quality
and yield. There were significant variations between locations, years and populations for
yield and quality characters. The ecology was highly suitable in Menemen to grow lemon
balm successfully and almost all yield and quality characters at Menemen were significantly
higher than those in Bozdağ (Table 4). The growth of populations in this study increased
after the first year of trials in both locations; therefore all aspects of yield were significantly
higher in the second and third years of trials compared with the first year. The populations