Variation in yield and essential oil composition of Mentha spicata cultivars

Abstract

Mentha spicata L. is cultivated for its essential oil which has various industrial uses. There are several species of Mentha genus but M. spicata is the only one which is rich in carvone. The present study was carried out at Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Research Centre, Pantnagar in 2020 to evaluate the yield potential and essential oil quality of five spearmint cultivars grown in sub-tropical condition of Uttarakhand, so that farmers could select, choose and cultivate the right cultivar to get maximum benefits. CIM-Mohak and MSS-5 showed significant higher yield (herb yield, essential oil yield) i.e. 124.10 and 116.20 q/ha and 68.88 and 70.58 kg/ ha, respectively. The analysis of essential oils from five spearmint cultivars revealed that limonene was more in Neer kalka (35.1%) and carvone was more in Arka (64.35%) but cultivars CIM-Mohak and MSS-5 had almost same concentration of carvone and limonene. The study concludes that CIM-Mohak and MSS-5 can be grown for spearmint cultivation in sub-tropical conditions for higher returns.

Keywords

• Carvone
• Cultivars
• Essential oil yield
• Limonene
• Mentha spicata