Biomaterial Database

Changes in growth, essential oil yield and composition of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.) as affected by growing media. 2014

Abdolhossein Rezaei Nejad, and Ahmad Ismaili

Razi Herbal Medicenes Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Korramabad, Iran; Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, PO Box 465, Korramabad, Iran.

BACKGROUND Using proper growing medium is known to be an effective way to improve crop growth and yield. However, the effects of growing media on geranium essential oil have scarcely ever been examined in detail. In this research, the effects of different growing media (soil, sand, pumice, perlite and perlite + cocopeat) on growth, oil yield and composition of geranium were studied. RESULTS Growth was significantly improved in soilless-grown plants compared with soil-grown plants. Oil yield of soilless-grown plants (except for pumice) was about threefold higher than that of soil-grown plants. The increase in oil yield was correlated with higher leaf dry weight (r² = 0.96), as oil content was not affected. The citronellol/geranium ratio of oil was clearly affected by growing media, ranging from 5:1 in soil culture to 3:1 in soilless culture. The latter is acceptable for perfumery. CONCLUSIONS Compared with soil, soilless media could produce higher yields of high-quality geranium oil that fits market requirements. Growth, oil yield and composition of plants grown in sand (a cheap and abundant growing medium) were not significantly different from those of plants grown in perlite and perlite + cocopeat.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007220	Industrial Waste	Worthless, damaged, defective, superfluous or effluent material from industrial operations.	Waste, Industrial,Industrial Wastes,Wastes, Industrial
D007492	Iran	A country bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan. The capital is Tehran.	Islamic Republic of Iran
D009822	Oils, Volatile	Oils which evaporate readily. The volatile oils occur in aromatic plants, to which they give odor and other characteristics. Most volatile oils consist of a mixture of two or more TERPENES or of a mixture of an eleoptene (the more volatile constituent of a volatile oil) with a stearopten (the more solid constituent). The synonym essential oils refers to the essence of a plant, as its perfume or scent, and not to its indispensability.	Essential Oil,Oil, Essential,Oil, Volatile,Oils, Essential,Volatile Oil,Essential Oils,Volatile Oils
D010476	Perfume	A substance, extract, or preparation for diffusing or imparting an agreeable or attractive smell, especially a fluid containing fragrant natural oils extracted from flowers, woods, etc., or similar synthetic oils. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)
D003059	Cocos	A plant genus of the family ARECACEAE. It is a tropical palm tree that yields a large, edible hard-shelled fruit from which oil and fiber are also obtained.	Coconut,Cocoanut,Cocos nucifera,Coco,Cocoanuts,Coconuts,Cocos nuciferas,nucifera, Cocos
D005525	Food-Processing Industry	The productive enterprises concerned with food processing.	Industry, Food-Processing,Food Processing Industry,Food-Processing Industries,Industries, Food-Processing,Industry, Food Processing
D005638	Fruit	The fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a plant, enclosing the seed or seeds.	Berries,Legume Pod,Plant Aril,Plant Capsule,Aril, Plant,Arils, Plant,Berry,Capsule, Plant,Capsules, Plant,Fruits,Legume Pods,Plant Arils,Plant Capsules,Pod, Legume,Pods, Legume
D000080462	Acyclic Monoterpenes	Linear compounds that contain a single monoterpene unit.	Monoterpenes, Acyclic
D000537	Aluminum Oxide	An oxide of aluminum, occurring in nature as various minerals such as bauxite, corundum, etc. It is used as an adsorbent, desiccating agent, and catalyst, and in the manufacture of dental cements and refractories.	Alumina,Alumina Ceramic,Aluminum Oxide (Al130O40),Aluminum Oxide (Al2O),Aluminum Oxide (AlO2),Bauxite,Corundum,Sapphire,Ceramic, Alumina,Oxide, Aluminum
D012822	Silicon Dioxide	Transparent, tasteless crystals found in nature as agate, amethyst, chalcedony, cristobalite, flint, sand, QUARTZ, and tridymite. The compound is insoluble in water or acids except hydrofluoric acid.	Silica,Aerosil,Aerosil 380,Cristobalite,Quso G-32,Quso G32,Tridymite,380, Aerosil,Dioxide, Silicon,G32, Quso,Quso G 32