A Determination of Various Yield, Quality and Biochemical Characteristics of Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) in Different Water Stress Conditions
Project no. 898 · Status: Kapanmış · 2018
Summary
The aim of this research project was to investigate the effect of different levels of water application on various yield and quality characteristics and volatile oil contents of the water-loving mint plant, which is consumed fresh or dried, as well as being important for the aromatic oils which it contains. Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) was used in the study, and its two-year growth yield was evaluated. The study was conducted in a random block design with three replication and five different irrigation treatments: a control treatment (S100) in which deficient moisture in the root zone was made up to field capacity once every five days, and four other treatments, in which water was applied at 25%, 50%, 75% and 125% of this level. Actual seasonal evapotranspiration of the control treatment was 493,3 and 600,7mm for the two years, and mean daily water consumption was 6,7 and 7,1mm respectively. Fresh herb yields were determined to be highest in the S100 treatment, and it was observed that production could be carried out with treatment S75. A similar effect was generally detected in drug herb and drug leaf yields. A significant increase was seen in mean amounts of drug herb and drug leaf in the two years in S100 in the first harvesting period and in S125 in the second harvest. Drug leaf proportions generally rose in treatments S25 and S50. Significant increases occurred in the volatile oil compounds menthone in S100, menthofuran in S25 and S75, and generally methyl acetate in S25. Shoot lengths of the plants and weight of shoots with and without leaves increased significantly in treatments S75, S100 and S125. The dry weight proportion (%) of the plants was found to be highest in treatment S25, and an increase in water application significantly reduced this proportion. K and Cu nutrient element contents of leaves showed a significant increase in treatments S100 and S125, but irrigation treatments had no significant effect on the content of other nutrient elements examined. According to the findings, the most suitable irrigation levels were treatments S75 and S100. Key Words: peppermint, water stress, yield, morphological properties. volatile compounds, plant nutrients.