Abstract
Sweet-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L'Hér), a plant belonging to the Geraniaceae family, has medicinal and aromatic properties and is widely used in the cosmetic, soap, perfume, aromatherapy, and food industries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of fertilization and the use of different colors of plastic mulch on sweet-scented geranium biomass and essential oil. Three colors of plastic mulch (black, white, and silver-colored) and a control without plastic mulch were assessed along with three fertilizers (20,000 L·ha−1 of cattle manure; 1,000 kg·ha−1 of NPK 3-12-6; and 20,000 L·ha−1 of cattle manure + 1,000 kg·ha−1 of NPK 3-12-6 fertilizer) and a control without fertilizer. The absence of a soil cover negatively influenced the agronomical variables, while coverage with plastic mulch was associated with increased biomass. The use of fertilizer had no effect on the evaluated agronomic variables. When cattle manure and NPK 3-12-6 were used together, combined with white or black plastic mulch, the highest yields of essential oil were obtained. For the silver-colored plastic mulch, higher amounts of essential oil (6,9-guaiadien) were obtained with mineral fertilizer.
Highlights
The Pelargonium (Geraniaceae) genus contains around 280 herbaceous, shrub, and subshrub species, including annuals and perennials that typically originated from southern Africa [1]
Plants of sweet-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L’Her) genotype University of Sergipe (UFS)-PEL001 were propagated by cuttings
The results from the present study indicate that the interaction between the type of plastic mulch and the type of fertilizer was significant only for the yield of essential oil
Summary
The Pelargonium (Geraniaceae) genus contains around 280 herbaceous, shrub, and subshrub species, including annuals and perennials that typically originated from southern Africa [1]. Pelargonium graveolens L’Her is one of the most important species in this genus and is an aromatic shrub species that can reach up to 1.3 m in height This geranium is native to Cape Province, South Africa, and is grown in many regions worldwide, including the Reunion Islands, Algeria, southern France, Spain, Morocco, Madagascar, Congo, and Russia, for the production of its essential oil [2,3,4,5,6]. The production of essential oils in plants may be altered by environmental or ontogenic factors, such as the physicalchemical characteristics of the soil, moisture, temperature, developmental stage, and phenology [12] These factors have been evaluated to determine how they influence the production of volatile compounds in medicinal and aromatic species [8, 13,14,15]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of organicmineral fertilizers and soil coverage with plastic mulch on sweet-scented geranium (P. graveolens) biomass and essential oil
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