PECULIARITIES OF SOME ESSENTIAL OIL PLANTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR GROWTH BIOTECHNOLOGY IN NEWEST WATER STREAM HYDROPONIC CONDITIONS
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Mahsa Daryadar,1 Julietta Aleksanyan ,2 Anahit Tovmasyan ,3 Anna Tadevosyan,4 Stepan Mayrapetyan ,5,*
1. G.S. Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics Problems, Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Productivity, National Academy of Sciences
2. G.S. Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics Problems, Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Productivity, National Academy of Sciences
3. G.S. Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics Problems, Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Productivity, National Academy of Sciences
4. G.S. Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics Problems, Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Productivity, National Academy of Sciences
5. G.S. Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics Problems, Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Productivity, National Academy of Sciences
- Introduction: Soilless culture of plants, as a new sphere of biological industry, modern biotechnological method of obtaining raw material, enables optimal conditions for plant growth and development, and through headed conditions to obtain more effective, high quality, ecologically clean raw material. In the institute of Hydroponics Problems, NAS RA has been developed and patented a new, modern system: “water-stream hydroponics” with its varieties (cylindrical, gully, continuous, perennial planting), which is 5-6 times cheaper than classical hydroponics. The bases of water stream hydroponics are the periodical and irretrievable push /in the form of a jet/ of the nutrient solution directly to the root-bearing stratum of the plant, which is automatically regulated from the viewpoint of time and quantity.
The research objective is the study of properties of valuable, pharmacologically endowed, essential oil plants (Mentha piperita L., Ocimum basilicum L.) as well as the development of the soilless production biotechnology with enhancing of their effectiveness and secondary metabolites in the newest water-stream hydroponics system. Comparisons were made with classical hydroponics and soil culture.
- Methods: In conditions of water-stream hydroponics the plants have been set in cylindrical, gully, continuous systems and in semi-productive beds of hydroponics experimental station with 8 plant/m2 surface. Volcanic red slag filler with 3-15 mm diameter particles was used in all hydroponics systems. The plants were nourished with G.S. Davtyan’s nutrient solution with 0.5-0.75 N concentration during all vegetation period. In water-stream hydroponics the nutrient solution was pushed irretrievably (6-20 times, with 10-15 second duration) in the form of jet to the root-bearing stratum of the plant during the day. One-time given solution is 20-50 ml depending on weather conditions. In classical hydroponics the plants nutrition was 1-3 times, in soil culture once 3-4 days where the all agricultural rules were kept.
- Results: Peppermint and sweet basil, dry, raw material, obtained by using different hydroponic methods, exceeded soil culture 1.4-3.3 times. Essential oil biosynthesis acceleration in both crops was observed in August in case of plant rapid growth. In cylindrical and classical hydroponics, the output of a peppermint essential oil (1.4-2.5 times) was observed due to high yield of plants. In the raw material of sweet basil, increase of essential oil output (1.3-3.0 times) was favorable in cylindrical hydroponics. Almost a similar pattern was observed in case of extracts, flavonoids and tannins.
- Conclusion: Essential oil in plants organs is subjected to quantitative and qualitative changes during the vegetation. With high content of menthol (71-73%) from the common elements of essential oil were distinguished in the peppermint grown in cylindrical hydroponics, classical hydroponics and soil culture. In cylindrical hydroponics, which provided maximum essential oil output, menthol maximum content was observed at the end of vegetation, in September (71%) and the lowest content (40%) in August. High content of estragole (30%) in essential oil of sweet basil was also observed in conditions of cylindrical hydroponics in July and August, and linalool high content in August (41%).
- Keywords: water-stream hydroponics, еssential oil, menthol, productivity, biotech
