Performance of ginger grass (Lippia alba) for traits related to the production of essential oil

• Published in: Scientia agricola 2008, Vol.65 (5), p.481-489
• Main Authors: Yamamoto, Paula Yuri, Colombo, Carlos Augusto, Azevedo Filho, Joaquim Adelino, Lourenção, André Luiz, Marques, Márcia Ortiz Mayo, Morais, Guilherme Domingues da Silva, Chiorato, Alisson Fernando, Martins, Antônio Lúcio Mello, Siqueira, Walter José
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
• ISSN: 0103-9016; 1678-992X; 0103-9016
• DOI: 10.1590/S0103-90162008000500006

Lippia alba (Verbenaceae) is a shrub whose essential oil has important biological, pharmacological, and aromatizing properties. To reach the sustained cultivation of new species with economic potential, the present study aimed to evaluate L. alba performance for fresh leaf matter (FM), leaf dry matter (DM), virus symptoms (VS - Cucumber mosaic virus, CMV), oil yield (OY), and oil chemical composition (OC), and to evaluate DM stability and adaptability. Ten genotypes of four chemical groups (chemotypes) were evaluated in six experiments designed as randomized blocks with two plants per plot, over the whole State of São Paulo, Brazil. A 2.0 x 0.4 x 1.6 m spacing was used in Monte Alegre do Sul and Pindorama, while a 1.0 x 0.4 x 0.6 m spacing was used in Campinas, where four experiments were established under different irrigation and fertilization conditions. The genotype effect was significant (p < 0.05) for all traits evaluated, with high leaf productivity of IAC-16 (citral chemotype), best OY means in the linalool and limonene/carvone chemotypes, and susceptibility of the latter chemotype to CMV. The genotype performance oscillations in the six environments were significant for FM and DM, and despite their significance for phytochemical traits (OY and OC), they were of low magnitude. No qualitative variation was detected for OC. The IAC-2 (linalool) and IAC-13 (limonene/carvone) genotypes showed high stability and wide adaptability, and are recommended to establish initial cultivations of this species. This research also indicated genetic sources to start Lippia alba genetic breeding programs. A Lippia alba (Verbenaceae) é um arbusto produtor de óleo essencial com importantes atividades biológicas, farmacológicas e aromatizantes. Visando o cultivo sustentado de uma nova espécie com potencial econômico, os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar o desempenho da L. alba para massa de folha fresca (MF), massa de folha seca (MS), sintomas de vírus (SV - Cucumber mosaic virus, CMV), rendimento de óleo essencial (RE) e composição química do óleo (CQ), e avaliar a estabilidade e adaptabilidade fenotípica para o caráter MS. Dez genótipos pertencentes a quatro grupos químicos foram testados em seis experimentos instalados no estado de São Paulo, Brasil, com delineamento em blocos ao acaso e duas plantas por parcela. Em Monte Alegre do Sul e Pindorama, foi utilizado espaçamento de 2,0 x 0,4 x 1,6 m e em Campinas, foram instalados quatro experimentos 1,0 x 0,4 x 0,6 m