Planta Med 2016; 82 - PC36
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1578738

Yield Characteristics Of Melissa Officinalis L. In Response To The Foliar Application Of Methanol And Ethanol Solutions

E Khosravi 1, A Mehrafarin 2, H Naghdibadi 2, M Tamjidi 3, M Taghi Khosravi 4
  • 1Department of Horticulture, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University Tehran, Iran
  • 2Department of Cultivation and development, Institute of Medicinal plants (ACECR), Karaj, Iran
  • 3Department of Statistics, the University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
  • 4Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Karaj branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

Lemon balm, one of the important medicinal plant species mainly grown in natural flora, especially in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, is native to southern Europe and northern Africa, and east as far as the Caucasus and northern Iran [1]. Short chain alcohols such as ethanol and methanol are reported to enhance biomass accumulation and seed germination for several C3 crop species [2]. Foliar sprays of aqueous 10 – 50% methanol increased growth and development of C3 crop plants [3]. The aims of this study were evaluation of the yield characteristics of lemon balm in response to the methanol and ethanol solutions as a new and safe technology in production of medicinal plants, based on a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and 3 replications in the experimental field of Institute of Medicinal Plants (IMP) in Karaj at 2010. The treatments of this study include: control (distilled and without distilled water), ethanol and methanol aqueous solutions each one of them with 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% (v/v). The results were indicated that the effects of hydroalcoholic solutions had significant differences (P < 0.01) on 15 agronomical and morphophysiological traits. The results indicated that the most amount of plant height in methanol 30%, stem diameter, stem number, stem fresh weight, stem dry weight, leaf number, leaf area, leaf fresh weight, leaf weight, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, seed weight per plant and essential oil yield in methanol 40%, chlorophyll content and thousand seed weight in methanol 50% were obtained.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the Institute of medicinal plants (ACECR) for their assistance.

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