Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 MSc. Student, Department of Horticulture, Azad University of Jahrom, Iran
2 Medicinal Plants Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Horticulture, Azad University of Jahrom, Iran
4 MSc., Homand Reaearch Station- Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Damavand, Iran
Abstract
In order to study the effects of plant density on yield and essential oil yield of four species of thymus, an experiment was conducted at Homand Research Station as a split plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Main plots were four species including Thymus daenensis, T. pubescens, T. kotschyanus and T.vulgaris and sub plots were three levels of plant density including 25, 35 and 50 cm row spacing. Measured characteristics included height, number of lateral branches, root length, canopy diameter, root dry weight, fresh and dry yield, essential oil percentage and yeild. Results indicated significant differences in terms of measured traits. Among the measured traits, the effect of density was significant on number of lateral branch, canopy dimeter, fresh yield, and root dry weight. According to the results of interaction effect between species and density, the highest dry yield and essential oil content (%) was obtained at 25 cm row spacing in T.kotschyanus and the lowest was recorded at 50 cm row spacing in T. daenensis. Results showed that the highest essential oil yield was obtained at 25 cm row spacing for T. kotschyanus and T. daenensis.
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