Medicinal plants provide an important source of cure since ancient time. Poor soil resources, scarce and saline water and the harsh environment limited the production of plants in the Arabian Gulf countries. This stud...Medicinal plants provide an important source of cure since ancient time. Poor soil resources, scarce and saline water and the harsh environment limited the production of plants in the Arabian Gulf countries. This study aimed to investigate the production potential of rosemary （Rosmarinus officinalis L.） grown on different growth media under greenhouse conditions. Three growth media agricultural soil, compost and hydroponic system were used, whereas tuff （inert volcanic material） was used as substrate. The result indicated that the high salinity of the agricultural soil limited growth and oil yield in rosemary. Shoot height increased in 11 weeks, by 62%, 65% and 114% in plants grown in agricultural soil, hydroponic system and compost, respectively. Na content in plants grown in agricultural soil was significantly higher than in plants grown in the other treatment. Essential oil yield in plants grown in compost exceeded those in agricultural soil by 114%. Essential oil content （0.66%-1.5% w/w） and chemical constituents concentrations did not change significantly with growth media. The main constituents, more or less, are comparable to essential oils constituents reported from other countries. In comparison, better yields are obtained for individual components of the oils of plants grown under our green house conditions. This study demonstrated the great potential of commercial production of rosemary in the greenhouse without compromising the oil quality and oil yield.展开更多
文摘Medicinal plants provide an important source of cure since ancient time. Poor soil resources, scarce and saline water and the harsh environment limited the production of plants in the Arabian Gulf countries. This study aimed to investigate the production potential of rosemary （Rosmarinus officinalis L.） grown on different growth media under greenhouse conditions. Three growth media agricultural soil, compost and hydroponic system were used, whereas tuff （inert volcanic material） was used as substrate. The result indicated that the high salinity of the agricultural soil limited growth and oil yield in rosemary. Shoot height increased in 11 weeks, by 62%, 65% and 114% in plants grown in agricultural soil, hydroponic system and compost, respectively. Na content in plants grown in agricultural soil was significantly higher than in plants grown in the other treatment. Essential oil yield in plants grown in compost exceeded those in agricultural soil by 114%. Essential oil content （0.66%-1.5% w/w） and chemical constituents concentrations did not change significantly with growth media. The main constituents, more or less, are comparable to essential oils constituents reported from other countries. In comparison, better yields are obtained for individual components of the oils of plants grown under our green house conditions. This study demonstrated the great potential of commercial production of rosemary in the greenhouse without compromising the oil quality and oil yield.
