Abstract
Wild phytogenetic resources are threatened by overexploitation. This pressure on species and natural ecosystems can be alleviated in part by recruiting and domesticating wild-growing species under pilot cultivation with tailor-made fertilization schemes. This study focused on the pilot cultivation of Origanum microphyllum—a critically endangered local endemic plant of Crete, Greece—investigating the effect of conventional and integrated nutrient management (ΙΝΜ) fertilizers by foliar or root application and biostimulant. Above-ground biomass together with leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and color (SPAD meter, DA meter, Chroma Meter) were determined. Leaf chlorophyll, antioxidant compound (carotenoids, phenols, flavonoids), and nutrient contents were also assessed. The results showed that fertilization did not significantly affect plant growth and leaf nutrient content. Root fertilization was associated with greener leaves compared to foliar. The same trend was generally evident for antioxidant compound content. The small size of leaves may have impeded the efficiency of the foliar application. In conclusion, root application of conventional or INM fertilizers seems more suitable to promote visual quality and herbal antioxidant profile of O. microphyllum, than the foliar one.
Highlights
Conventional and complementary herbal medicines are traded globally both in developing and developed countries [1,2]
O. microphyllum together, ChF-sa and integrated nutrient management (INM)-sa stand out as the most stimulatory fertilization schemes applied preferably through the root. In this pilot field cultivation of Origanum microphyllum, the effect of fertilization on plant growth and herbal quality was evaluated for the first time in an attempt to develop knowledge on cultivation techniques regarding this promising new medicinal plants (MAPs) crop
O. microphyllum plant growth and nutrient content; the fertilization when applied through the root system was associated with enhanced visually perceived quality traits and higher medicinal value
Summary
Conventional and complementary herbal medicines are traded globally both in developing and developed countries [1,2]. Herbal raw materials are essential in other sectors (e.g., perfumery, cosmetics, and food industry) with a growing respective demand [3,4,5] It is largely unnoticed by the public, a sizeable merit of the traded herbal material is yet derived from wild-growing plant populations of aromatic-medicinal plants (MAPs), threatening them at local scales and often across their ranges [6]. Many MAPs are nowadays threatened with extinction due to unsustainable practices, over-exploitation, and limited or compromised awareness [7] In this perspective, considerable ecological risks arise for the range-restricted species, and for the whole habitat in which these MAPs thrive in the wild [6]. Given the growing demand for herbal material in various economic sectors and the accelerating depletion of wild phytogenetic resources due to over-collection for direct use, the domestication of targeted species of interest and their pilot cultivation including the development of fertilization protocols appears to be a sustainable alternative
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