The Effect of Planting Time and Planting Density on Yield and Essential Oil of Satureja sahendica Bornm.

This experiment was conducted, to study the effect of planting time and planting density on savory (Satureja sahendica Bornm.) in 2012 in Alborz Research Station, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Karaj, Iran. The experiment was carried out in split plot in time in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The main plots were planting times in two levels (including fall and spring planting) and the sub plots were planting density in four levels (including 20×20, 40×40, 60×60 and 80×80 cm). The results indicated that planting time significantly affected the number of lateral branches on the main stem, the number of flowering branches, flowering shoot yield and essential oil yield, the number of tillers, plant height, single plant shoot yield and essential oil percentage. The effect of planting density had also significant differencein all measured traits except the plant height. Mean comparison of planting time showed that in all planting densities, fall planting was better than spring plantingin all traits. Mean comparison of planting densities indicated that the highest number of tillers (7.67), the number of flowering stems (6.5), single plant shoot yield (22.98 g/plant) and essential oil percentage (2.01%) were achieved in the lowest planting density (80×80 cm). However, the highest number of lateral branches (5.67), flowering shoot yield (1587.5 kg/ha) and essential oil yield (14.53 kg/ha) were achieved in the highest planting density (20×20 cm). The interaction of planting time × planting density significantly affected all measured traits except for the number of tillers and the number of flowering branches. The results of this experiment indicated that selection of suitable planting time and planting density is important to obtain high essential oil yield; fall planting × the highest density (20×20 cm) could produced an acceptable yield in Karaj climatic conditions.