Effects of Plant Density and Sowing Date on the Growth, Flowering and Quantity of Essential Oil of Calendula Officinalis L
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Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 5(20), pp. 5110-5115, 30 September, 2011 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR ISSN 1996-0875 ©2011 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Effects of plant density and sowing date on the growth, flowering and quantity of essential oil of Calendula officinalis L. Ahmad Reza Berimavandi 1*, Davood Hashemabadi 2, Mohammad Vali Facouri Ghaziani 2 and Behzad Kaviani 2 1Department of Agronomy, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran. 2Department of Horticultural Science, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran. Accepted 6 July, 2011 Pot marigold ( Calendula officinalis L.) is a medicinal and ornamental plant. In an experiment which was designed in factorial on the basis of completely randomized block design with 3 replicates in 36 plots. The effects of plant density (20, 40, 60 and 80 plants/m 2- factor A) and sowing date (April 19 and 29, and May 10, 2010- factor B) were evaluated on the growth, flowering and essential oil of C. officinalis L. Studies were carried out on experimental field in Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran. Investigated characteristics were: plant dry weight, flower number/plant, branch number/plant, flower dry weight, flower yield/area unit, and quantity of essential oil. Maximum of plant dry weight (35.67 g), flower number/plant (25.88), branch number/plant (9.44), flower dry weight (3.72 g), and amount of essential oil/100 g dried flower (0.16 ml) were obtained at the 20 plants/m 2, while maximum of flower dry weight (132.07 g), and amount of essential oil (0.19 ml), both per area unit were obtained at the 60 plants/m2. The effect of sowing date for all characteristics was not significant. Interaction between plant density and sowing date was significant for all characteristics and the best treatments were the 20 plants/m 2 on 19 and 29 April. Key words: Dry weight, flower production, pot marigold, Iran. INTRODUCTION Calendula officinalis L. (Asteraceae) is an annual, used for food and medicine (Hamburger et al., 2003; aromatic, medicinal and ornamental herb with yellow and Janke, 2004; Jimenez-Medina et al., 2006). Plant density orange flowers, a native to Mediterranean region (Gazim and sowing date are the two most important factors that et al., 2008). The composite flowers blossom in the affect directly on the yield and flower number, amount of spring-summer seasons three times per year (Gilman essential oils and yield components (Marisol et al., 2003). and Howe, 1999; Omidbaighi, 2005). The leaves and Plant density is dependent on the plant characters, flowers of marigold are applied in horticulture, medicine, growth period, time and method of cultivation, soil cosmetics, perfume, pharmaceutical preparation, food conditions, plant length, sun light and weeds. Selection of and other industries (Marczal, 1987; Muusa et al., 1992; suitable sowing date has advantages in relation to Van Wyk and Wink, 2004; Gazim et al., 2008). One of the assembling the raw material and other productions. It can main components of active ingredient in C. officinalis L. be accomplished by choosing the right plant species, soil, are essential oils, which most of them synthesize in its sowing date, plant nutrition, harvest etc. Early cultivation orange petals (Omidbaighi, 2005). Flower essence is of C. officinalis L. causes frost-bite and finally weakly establishment of plant in spring. Also, late cultivation causes shorten of growth period and simultaneous flowering period with very high temperature in summer *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. (Cromack and Smith, 1988). Seghatoleslami and Tel: 00989111495008. Mousavi (2009) evaluated the effect of three sowing Berimavandi et al. 5111 dates (March 30, April 14 and 30) and three row spacing Totally, flowers were harvested at 3 stages, and total dry weight calculated as yield. After determination of flower, dry weight/plant in (10, 20 and 30 cm) on C. officinalis L. flowering and 2 showed that the plant density and sowing date had density of 20, 40, 60 and the 80 plants/m , yield/area unit was calculated by following equation: significant differences on plant dry weight and seed yield. A study on the other species from Asteraceae family Flower yield/m 2 = number of plant/m 2 × flower yield/plant confirmed these results (Jamshidi, 2000). Study of Marisol et al. (2003) on the influence of sowing date on Flower number/plant and stem number/plant were obtained by the yield of capitula of C. officinalis L. during two growing account of five plants from center of each plot. For determination of seasons showed that in the first year of production the the essential oil, the plant materials (flowers) were dried in 45°C. The essential oil was obtained in a Clevenger apparatus by steam highest capitula yield was obtained in the treatment sown distillation. Thus, the 50 g of dried plant materials was extracted on June 4. In the second year, there was no difference in with 1000 ml of water. The water collected was re-extracted with 0.5 yield between sowing dates, and the average dried ml hexane. The essence and hexane was separated from water capitula yield was 3685 kg/ha. The sum total yield of the physically and weighted until the plant essence was obtained. Data two growing seasons was 4594 kg/ha of dried capitula. processing of the results was carried out by an EXCEL. Analysis of Martin and Deo (2000) demonstrated that the highest variance (ANOVA) was done using SPSS statistical software and means were compared using Duncan's test. flower yield in C. officinalis L. was obtained in density of 40 plants/m 2 and sowing date of April 15. Sowing date affects on quantity and quality of secondary metabolites RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (Jamshidi, 2000). There are several reports about the effect of genetically and environmental factors on The overall results of the effects of plant density and essential oils of C. officinalis L. (Miguel et al., 2004; sowing date on number of flower/plant, flower dry Danielski et al., 2006; Okoh et al., 2008). Plant density, weight/plant, flower dry weight/area unit, dry weight/plant, sowing date and plant age are effective factors on stem number/plant and amount of essential oil/plant are quantity and quality of essential oils in plants (Okoh et al., summarized in Table 2. 2007; Morteza et al., 2009). In this paper, the effect of plant density and sowing date on the growth, flowering and quantity of flower’s essential oil of C. officinalis L. Number of flower/plant have been discussed. Based on analysis of variance (Table 3), the effect of plant density on the flower number/plant was significant MATERIALS AND METHODS at 0.01 level of probability. There is no significant Seeds of marigold ( C. officinalis L.) were prepared from Pakan Bazr difference in the flower number/plant due to the effect of Co., Isfahan, Iran. Investigation was carried out on experimental sowing date (Table 3). The effect of interaction of plant field in Islamic Azad University of Rasht branch, Iran (N 37° 10’ 5.5’’ density and sowing date on the number of flower/plant and S 45° 33’ 12.6’’; altitude, 73 m above sea level; mean annual was not significant according to the analysis of variance rainfall, 1348 mm; mean annual temperature, 15°C) from 19 April to 2 but was significant according to the mean comparison 10 May (three times). Plot area was 6.3 m (3.5 m × 1.8 m), totally; (Table 2). This means that the interaction of plant density 36 plots and total surface was 376.2 m. Initially, chemical fertilizer including; urea-superphosphate triple-potassium chloride and sowing date on the flower number/plant was no (222.5:133.5:120 kg/ha) and manure (40 ton/ha) was applied to the significant, but the difference between different levels of main plots at planting time. Distance between plots and blocks were density × sowing date was significant. The highest flower 0.5 and 1 m, respectively. Used plant spacing was 12.5, 6.25, 4.2 2 number/plant was obtained from density of the 20 and 3.1 cm for plant density (D) of 20, 40, 60 and 80 plants/m , plants/m 2 (25.88 flowers/plant) in different levels of plant respectively; row distance was 40 cm. Sowing dates (S) were April 2 19 and 29, and May 10, 2010. Thinning was performed 2 weeks density, and the 20 plants/m × sowing date of April 19 after cultivation. Irrigation was carried out in 8 days intervals, when (28.33 flowers/plant) in different levels of interaction there was no rainfall. Hoeing was conducted in three stages: 15, 30 effects (Table 2). The highest flower number/plant was and 45 days after planting. The chemical analysis of the growing obtained in the lowest plant density because; (1) medium is presented in Table 1. Experiment was designed in Decreasing of competition between plants, (2) increasing factorial test on the basis of completely randomized block design of light and materials absorption by each plant resulting in with 3 replications. Interaction of two factors; sowing date (April 19 and 29, and May 10) and plant density (20, 40, 60 and 80 the increase of the flower number/plant. Decreasing of plants/m 2) (totally, 36 plots) were used in this experiment. Dry light and materials in high plant density and late sowing weight/plant (g), flower dry weight/area unit (g), flower are two main factors for severe decreasing of flower in number/plant, stem number/plant, yield/area unit, amount of plant density of the 80 plant/m 2 and sowing date of May essential oil/plant, and amount of essential oil/area unit were 10.