بررسي تاثير شوري آب آبياري بر عملكردهاي كمي و كيفي گياه دارويي زنيان ( carum copticum L . c . b . Clarke)

Evaluation of water salinity effects on yield and essential oil content and composition of Carum copticum L.

In order to evaluate the effects of water salinity on ajowan (Carum copticum L.), a completely randomized design was conducted in Esfahan province in 2007. Eight water salinity treatments (0.3-21 dS/m) with 3 replications were applied in the field. The seeds (at ripening) and foliage (initial flowering) of ajowan were harvested. After drying the plant materials in shade, their essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation. The oils were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography, using flame ionization and mass spectrometric detection. According to results seed and foliage oils percentage were 3.5-4.4 and 0.25-0.35 cc/100 g, respectively. Maximum seed and foliage oils yield were 8.3 and 2.4 cc/m2 and minimum were 3.5 and 1.5 cc/m2 in control and in 21 dS/m, respectively. Maximum biological and seed yields were 202.7 and 1367.6 and minimum were 96.7 and 739.5 gr/m2 in control and 21dS/m, respectively. The most important constituents of essential oil were: thymol (55.5% and 56.2%), y-terpinene (22.5% and 26.9%), p-cymene (14.2% and 11.2%), limonene (1.9% and 0.5%) and carvacrol (0.3% and 1.4%), respectively.