Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• F. Houshidari ¹
• S. R. Tabaei-Aghdaei ²
• F. Sefidkon ³
• B. Yousefi ⁴

¹ Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Sanandaj, Iran.

² -

³ Chief Editor

⁴ Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Sanandaj, Iran

Abstract

Background and objectives: Savory belongs to the family Lamiaceae and the genus Satureja. Among the 16 savory species in Iran, 9 are endemic to Iran. The most important composition of the essential oil of these species is carvacrol, which has antiseptic properties and is used in the composition of some organic substances. The flowering branches and the aerial parts of the savoury plant are the most critical usable parts, usually harvested when flowering and dried in the shade and have a fragrant smell. In this study, we evaluated the adaptation of different savory accessions (Satureja spp.) in the climatic condition of Kurdistan province.
Methodology: Thirty-seven accessions belonging to 10 Saturejaspecies were used in a randomized complete block design experiment in three replications at the Grize Station in Sanandaj from 2009-2013. The seeds were collected from different regions of Iran (Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, Yazd, Mazandaran, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Ilam, Gilan, Isfahan and Zanjan provinces). Savory species include S. sahendica Bornm, S. avromanica Maroofi, S. bachtiarica Bunge, S. spicigera (C. Koch) Boiss, S. mutica Fisch, S. macrantha CAMey, S. atropatana Bunge, S. rechingeri Jamzad, S. khuzistanicaJamzad, and S. isophylla Rech. The seeds were planted using transplanting trays, and at the stage of 8-10 leaves, the healthy plants were selected to be cultivated in unique pots. After levelling the ground and implementing the drip irrigation system, the healthy seedlings were transferred to the foremost field in the research farm. A sampling of savoury branches in the full flowering stage was done in early summer to mid-autumn. Variance analysis and average data comparison were done using Duncan's multiple range test. Using cluster analysis of the investigated characteristics, the accessions were separated into groups with different origins. Also, a variance distribution of the main components of the data was done for the principal components analysis. Essential oils obtained from 3 replicate samples were mixed and analyzed by GC and GC/MS.
Results: Based on the variance analysis there was a significant difference between species and accessions at the level of (p≤0.01) in terms of essential oil yield percentage, essential oil yield per hectare (based on the dry weight of flower and leaf per hectare), total phenolic compounds of essential oil, plant's fresh weight yield per hectare and plant's dry weight yield per hectare, dry weight of leaf and flower yield per hectare, canopy area, the mean of the branch's height and establishment percentage. Also, the effect of the year on essential oil yield was significant. Comparison of the average species of savory showed that the average yield of essential oils in hectares (based on the weight of flower and leaf per hectare) was the highest in S.spicigera, S.mutica, S.rechingeri, S. macrantha, S.khuzestanica, S.sahendica, S.bachtiaricawith 45.20, 38.44, 19.00, 12.40, 12.07, 9.45, 9.26 kg/ha and the lowest in species of S.avromanica, S. isophylla, S. atropatana with 0.74, 1.64, 2.48 kg/ha, respectively. Species of S.khuzestanica, S.rechingeri,S.avromanica, S. mutica, S.spicigera, S.bachtiaricawith 91.90, 90.26, 58.45, 53.03, 51.35 and 50.49, respectively had the highest total phenolic compounds of essential oil and the species of S. isophylla, S. macrantha, S.sahendica, S. atropatana had the lowest with 29.15, 36.55, 36.85 and 37.60%, respectively. Species of S. avromanica, S. macrantha, S. spicigera, S. mutica, S. isophylla, S. sahendica with averages of 93.32, 92.30, 91.76, 83.82, 83.11, 81.44% had the highest survival or percentage of establishment, and S. atropatana, S. rechingeri, S. khuzistanica species had the lowest establishment percentage with 26.44, 31.73 and 38.89%, respectively. Comparison of traits in different species of Saturejashows that the yield of fresh plant weight per hectare is the highest in S. mutica and S. spicigera species with 13637.73 and 13570.76 kg and S. isophylla, S. atropatana and S.avromanica had the lowest values with 1199.43, 1604.31, and 1764.89 kg, respectively. The yield of the dry weight of flowers and leaves per hectare was the highest in S. spicigeraand S. mutica with 2173.94 and 2101.89 kg and S. atropatana, S. isophylla and S. avromanica had the lowest values with 338.45, 427.48, and 457.03 kg, respectively.
Conclusion: Based on the cluster analysis results, S. sahendica, S. bachtiarica, S. macrantha, S. spicigera and S. mutica were prioritized for planting in Kurdistan. S. avromanica, S. Tropicana and S. mesophyll were placed in the second priority for planting, and S. recharger and S. khuzestanica, with an average yield of essential oil of 2.87 and 2.41%, respectively (higher than the native species), due to their sensitivity to cold, the low establishment, the small area of the canopy and finally the lack of dry weight of flowers and leaves can be concluded that these two species are not suitable for cultivation in the same conditions of Kurdistan. On the other hand, based on the biplot diagram, the yield of essential oil per hectare positively correlates with the canopy area and the wet and dry weight of the plant. Therefore, S. spicigera, S. mutica, S. bachtiarica, S. macrantha and S. sahendica species, in addition to the large canopy area and as a result of increasing the dry weight of flowers and leaves in them, showed essential oil yield per hectare in the climate conditions of Sanandaj. Also, S. spicigera, S. mutica, S. macrantha, S. sahendica, and S. bachtiarica species have the highest dry weight yield per hectare with 5992, 5694, 2061, 1046, and 1622 kg per hectare and 20.45 38.44, 12.40, 9.45, 9.26 kg per hectare had the highest yield of essential oil.

Keywords

• Total phenolic compounds
• Savory crop yield
• essential oil yield
• perennial savory

Main Subjects

• Improvement and breeding