Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizae species on essential oil yield and chemical composition of palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) varieties grown under salinity stress soil

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study was framed to assess the essential oil yield and quality of four varieties of palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Wats. var. motia Burk, viz. Trishna, Tripta, PRC-1 and CIMAP-Harsh under the salt affected soil with intervention of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The essential oil yield (7.04–12.70 g kg–1 fresh biomass) and geraniol yield (5.71–10.56 g kg–1 fresh biomass) were significantly affected by the variety, soil type and AMF inoculation. Altogether, twenty-eight constituents, representing 96.90–99.43% of the total oil compositions were identified using Gas chromatography (GC)-flame ionisation detection and GC-mass spectrometry techniques. Major constituents of the oils of different varieties were geraniol (76.73–83.28%), geranyl acetate (6.60–13.06%), linalool (0.90–3.00%), (2E,6Z)-farnesol (0.80–3.00%), geranial (0.30–2.03%), myrcene (0.54–2.00%), (E)-β-ocimene (0.43–1.95%), (E)-caryophyllene (0.30–1.30%) and geranyl hexanoate (0.31–1.20%). Significantly higher essential oil and geraniol yields were observed in var. Tripta due to AMF intervention (Funneliformis mosseae and Glomus aggregatum).