Phytochemical, Morphological and Yield Responses of Mentha canadensis to Organic and Nitrogen Fertilizers

Abstract

The commercial production of essential oil in Mentha actually depends on the nutrient, fertilization and climatic conditions. Mentha canadensis is one of the Mentha species that produces menthol more than other species. In this study, the effects of organic and nitrogen (N) fertilizer to determine phytochemical, morphological and yield responses of this species were investigated. Experiments were carried out in 3 levels of N and combinations of these applied during the growing season of 2015. The result of this study showed that organic and N fertilizers had significantly effects on growth parameters and essential oil yield and content of menthol, menthone and menthofuran. The minimum percentage of menthol was 38.2 in the control and the maximum percentage of menthol was 41.6 in 15: 400 (organic: nitrogen) combination fertilizers. This increase in essential oil yield might be due to either an increase in vegetative growth or changes in monoterpenes biosynthesis.