Lavender organic cultivation yield and essential oil can be improved by using bio-stimulants

Abstract

Lavender is an aromatic-medicinal plant, cultivated in Greece and in Mediterranean basin in general. The aim of the current study was to investigate if the use of bio-stimulants could increase the yield of the flowering shoots and the essential oil content even from the establishment year. For the purposes of the study, in Microkastro Vojo Kozanis, lavender experimental field was established on November 2017 and the results refer to the experimentation years 2018 and 2019. The effect of four different formulations (bio-stimulants and foliar preparations; control, amalgerol 15,000 cc ha–1, millerplex 450 cc ha–1, sugarxpress 12,000 cc ha–1, in three equal applications) on flower yield, essential oil content and yield were studied in a completely randomized experimental design under five replicates. The bio-stimulants application produced significantly higher flower shoots and essential oil yield comparing with control. The use of millerplex resulted to higher essential oil yield in higher values than the reported in literature, while the use of 'amargerol' produced flowering shoots with stable essential oil content for both experimental years. Therefore, the use of the above mentioned bio-stimulants is suggested to be used from the establishment year and thereafter, while further investigation on essential oil quality should be considered. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.