Determination of yield and yield components in wild thyme (Thymbra spicata L. var. spicata) as influenced by development stages

Abstract

Thymbra spicata var. spicata, which grows wildly in the flora of Turkey, is known as thyme. A field trial was conducted to determine suitable harvesting time and cutting height for Thymbra, therefore plants in the trial were harvested at two cutting heights in various stages of development in the course of the growing season (pre-flowering, full-flowering and post-flowering). It was determined that the time of harvesting had a significant effect on herbage yields, oil percentage and oil yield. The highest drug leaf yield (3.107 t/ha) was obtained in the full-flowering stage with 10 cm cutting length, essential oil percentage ranged from 1.58 to 2.33%, the highest essential oil yield (70.7 l/ha) was obtained at the full-flowering stage with 10 cm cutting length. As a result of this study, harvesting in the full-flowering stage with 10 cm cutting height was the best treatment in respect of the yield of dry matter and oil for thyme (Thymbra spicata) cultivation.