EFFECT OF COMPOST AND SOME ANTIOXIDANT TREATMENTS ON OIL PRODUCTIVITY AND SOME CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF MELISSA OFFICINALIS

Document Type : Original Research Article

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Hort. Dept., Fac. Agric., Minia Univ., Egypt

Abstract

This study was undertaken over the two growing seasons of 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 at the Nursery of Ornamental Plants, Fac. Agric., Minia Univ., Egypt, with the aim to investigate the effects of compost and various antioxidants, including amino acids, seaweed extract, and vitamin E, on the oil productivity and certain chemical constituents of Melissa officinalis, L. Data revealed that all studied parameters i.e., essential oil percentage and yield per plant per cut were significantly increased with fertilizing plants with compost relative to control through the three cuts during both seasons. Moreover, all the aforementioned parameters were elevated from 1st cutting to 3rd one. Additionally, the yield of essential oil per season per plant or per feddan, along with the contents of chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids in the fresh leaves and N, P, K % in the dry leaves were noticeably increased with compost fertilization (at the three levels). The highest values were obtained from 12 ton/fed compost, followed by 8 ton/fed compost. In many instances, there were no substantial distinctions among themselves. The application of amino acids, sea algae, and vitamin E, each at specified concentrations, resulted in a notable enhancement of all previously mentioned parameters when compared to the control group across both seasons. In this regard, vitamin E at a lower concentration (100 ppm) demonstrated particularly superior effects. The best interaction treatment was to supply plants with compost at 12 or 8 ton/fed and spray them with vitamin E at 100 or 200 ppm or sea algae at 3 ml/l to obtain the highest essential oil percentage and yield per plant and per feddan of Melissa officinalis.

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