Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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PRESENTED PAPERS 39 Genetic resources of medicinal and aromatic plants in Cyprus with emphasis on the selection, evaluation and management of Origanum dubium Demetrios Droushiotis and Athena Della Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), Nicosia, Cyprus Introduction Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean with an area of 9251 km 2 and includes four distinct topographical areas. The climate is intense Mediterranean with wet, changeable winters from November to March, and hot, dry summers from May to September, separated by short spring and autumn seasons. The vegetation consists mainly of coniferous forest, the maquis, the garigue and batha. A total of 1907 taxa have been recorded as native or naturalized and 376 taxa as cultivated. Of the native taxa 141 are endemic (Della 1999a, 2000). A number of aromatic, medicinal and other useful plants are being exploited in Cyprus, e.g. Origanum dubium, Salvia fruticosa, Sideritis perfoliata, Matricaria recutita, Urtica urens, Plantago coronopus subsp. commutata, Mentha spicata subsp. spicata, Rosmarinus officinalis, etc. Among the wild shrubs which are partly used for their aromatic fruits are: lentisk, Pistacia lentiscus L. ("schinia", "schinnos") and Pistacia terebinthus L. (terebinth, "trimithkia"). The aromatic fruit of Pistacia atlantica Desf. ("tremithos"), the mastic-producing tree, which is used for making pies, was used in the past for oil production. Laurus nobilis L. (laurel) is gathered or grown for its aromatic leaves and fruit. The leaves are used as aromatics and the oil from its fruit in cosmetics. An interesting plant of economic importance is Rhus coriaria L. (sumach, "roudhi", "soumatji"), an erect or spreading shrub of about 2 m in height, which grows on stony mountainsides and in vineyards above 600- 1800 m. The leaves of Rhus coriaria, an industrial plant rich in tannin, are collected every year and exported. Crataegus azarolus L. (azarole, "mosphilia"), a small round-headed tree, is grown on rocky mountainsides, by road sides or by field margins, where it is often planted. It is found from sea level to 1200 m altitude. Its fruit is gathered and eaten fresh or used to make home-made jams. It is used also in industry. The carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua L., the "charoupia" or "teratsia" of the Cypriots, which is grown in the wild, is also cultivated for its ripe fruit. It grows on dry hillsides in the garigue and in coastal and sub-maritime maquis from sea level to 700 m. It is widely cultivated in lowland areas (Della 1999b, 1999c). Ex situ collections are conserved in the National Genebank (Della 1997). National legislation protects the forest, rare endemic plants, national forest parks or nature reserves, as well as very old trees. A framework law has recently been ratified for the protection of nature. Although aromatic plants have always been grown in Cyprus, their cultivation has increased in recent years due to their use in international cuisine and to their association with better health. It is fortuitous that the agroclimatic conditions in Cyprus are very suitable for a wide range of aromatic crops. Aromatic and medicinal plants are grown at the Athalassa (near Nicosia) Government Nursery (Department of Agriculture) for evaluation and utilization. A number of the above species are already grown on a commercial scale. Research work at the Agricultural Research Institute includes studies of plant population density, cutting height, selection of different genotypes of oregano, experiments with preand post-emergence herbicides in a number of aromatic plant species, and irrigation experiments to study the effect of irrigation on the yield and quality of oregano and sage. Selection of local genotypes of oregano The aim of this study is to select among local genotypes of oregano the best clone for yield and quality. It has been observed that the populations of oregano were not uniform for many parameters such as flowering time, type of flowers (single or double), colour of leaves,
40 WORKING GROUP ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS: FIRST MEETING size of leaves, plant size, growth habit (erect/prostrate), and scent (strong/weak). These differences, particularly in flowering time, create difficulties at harvest, resulting in yield and quality loss, since oregano is normally harvested at full bloom. Oregano is a cross-pollinated species, and hence not genetically uniform. Because of its genetic heterogeneity it is possible to select better genotypes for agronomic and quality traits. Twenty-one genotypes collected from various parts of Cyprus were multiplied vegetatively and planted at Saittas in replicated trials for evaluation. Seed of the best genotypes will be produced in isolation and will be bulked to produce a synthetic stock. The results so far showed that there are large differences in yield and other parameters among the various genotypes tested. Total dry matter yield (leaves and flowers) during the last two years (2000-2001) ranged from 4190 kg/ha to 8670 kg/ha, while the oil content ranged on average from 3.3% to 5.85%. Plant population density of oregano The aim of this experiment is to determine the optimum population density of oregano plants. The treatments comprised nine combinations of three row spacings (60, 90 and 120 cm) and three within-row spacings (30, 45 and 60 cm). Two experiments were established in spring 1997, one at Saittas, which lies at an altitude of approximately 600 m above sea level, and the other at Zygi, located at sea level. During the whole experimental period from 1997 to 2001 there were 8 cuts at Saittas and 6 at Zygi. The total dry matter yield (leaves and flowers) at Saittas and Zygi was 22 100 kg/ha and 9000 kg/ha, respectively. The highest yield at Zygi during the experimental period was obtained from plants spaced 60 x 30 cm giving 5.5 plants/m 2 (10900 kg/ha) and the lowest from plants spaced 90 x 60 cm giving 1.8 plants/m 2 (7450 kg/ha), SE ± 727.0. At Saittas there were also significant differences among treatments in the first three years, with the plant density of 5.5/m 2 being the best in 1997, while the 3.7/m 2 was best in 1998 and 1999. Thereafter, differences disappeared because the plants grew large enough to cover the whole plot area. Effect of cutting height on the yield of oregano Height of cut is important for yield and persistence. A tall stubble leaves a photosynthetic area that provides additional carbohydrates for regrowth after cutting. Also, by adjusting the cutting height it may be possible to get more cuts per year. Three cutting heights, 8, 13, and 18 cm from the soil surface were tested. Two experiments were established in spring 1997, one at Saittas and the other at Zygi. During the whole experimental period from 1997 to 2001 there were 8 cuts at Saittas and 6 at Zygi. The total dry matter yield of leaves and flowers over the experimental period at Saittas and Zygi was 24330 kg/ha and 10100 kg/ha, respectively. Cutting at a height of 18 cm from the soil surface at Saittas produced the highest yield, 26 500 kg/ha whilst a height of 8 cm gave the lowest, 22 300 kg/ha. Cutting at 13 cm was intermediate. At Zygi there were no significant differences among the three cutting heights. Control of weeds Weeds are a serious problem in aromatic and medicinal crops especially where the crop is irrigated. In a series of preliminary experiments initiated in 1996 at the Agricultural Research Institute several pre-emergence herbicides were screened for their suitability and effectiveness in 15 aromatic plant species, i.e. Foeniculum vulgare, Hyssopus officinalis, Laurus nobilis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, M. viridis, Ocimum basilicum, Origanum dictamus, O. dubium, O. majorana, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia fruticosa, Sideritis scardica and Thymus vulgaris. The herbicides selected were further tested in field trials. Trials that started in autumn 1996 with Lavandula, Salvia and Origanum, were completed in 1998. The results showed that among the residual herbicides tested, chlorthal dimethyl, oxadiazon
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ISBN 92-9043-633-6 Cover photos: co
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Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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