| Autor: |
Malaka MJ; Agricultural Research Council-Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, Private Bag X293, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.; Department of Crop Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa., Araya NA; Agricultural Research Council-Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, Private Bag X293, Pretoria 0001, South Africa., Soundy P; Department of Crop Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa., du Plooy CP; Agricultural Research Council-Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, Private Bag X293, Pretoria 0001, South Africa., Araya HT; Agricultural Research Council-Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, Private Bag X293, Pretoria 0001, South Africa., Jansen Van Rensburg WS; Agricultural Research Council-Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, Private Bag X293, Pretoria 0001, South Africa., Watkinson E; Department of Science and Innovation, Private Bag X894, Pretoria 0001, South Africa., Levember E; South African Essential Oils Business Incubator, 19 Mountain Street, Derdepoort 0186, Pretoria, South Africa., Wadiwala E; Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, P.O. Box 395, Meiring Naude Road, Brummeria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa., Amoo SO; Agricultural Research Council-Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, Private Bag X293, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.; Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa.; Indigenous Knowledge Systems Centre, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho 2790, South Africa. |
| Abstrakt: |
Origanum marjorana L. has been valued for centuries for its flavoring attributes and therapeutic properties. The growing demand for its various applications necessitates optimizing agronomic practices for its production. A glasshouse pot trial was conducted to identify optimum agronomic practices for increased herbage and oil yield, as well as oil quality. The effects of varying air temperature regimes (low, medium, and high levels), irrigation (low, medium, and high levels), nitrogen fertilizer application (N = 100, 150, and 200 kg/ha), and soil type (sandy loam, sandy clay loam, and loamy sand) on the productivity of marjoram plants were investigated. The results showed an increase in plant growth and herbage yield as well as chlorophyll content under conditions of high air temperature, low irrigation, and moderate to high nitrogen level applied to sandy loam soil, with an increase in oil yield with loamy sand soil. The major compounds observed in marjoram essential oil were terpinene-4-ol (22.63-36.72%) and (Z)-β-terpineol (6.85-16.60%), in which terpinene-4-ol was not found to be within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) limits of acceptability while (Z)-β- terpineol had no reference limits available. A promising performance of marjoram cultivation under high regimes of air temperature (16.7 to 36.6 °C), nitrogen fertilization (200 kg ha -1 N), and low irrigation (up to 60% soil water depletion from field capacity) on sandy loam soils was demonstrated for improved crop productivity. |
