ISHS Acta Horticulturae 331: WOCMAP I - Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Conference: part 3 of 4
EFFECT OF AGRONOMIC PRACTICES ON PLANT YIELD AND ANTI-MALARIAL CONSTITUENTS OF ARTEMISIA ANNUA L. |
| Author: | J.C. Laughlin |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.331.8 |
| Abstract:
In a field experiment on krasnozem soil in the north west region of Tasmania spring establishment of Artemisia annua Lin October gave much higher yields than later times in summer. All times of establishment from July to October gave similar yields. When established in October, dry matter yield of leaves was at a maximum at full bloom in mid March. The concentration of both artemisinin and artemisinic acid peaked during the vegetative phase in mid February. Because yield of both constituents was dominated by leaf dry matter changes, the optimum time of harvest under Tasmanian conditions was full bloom for artemisinin and about two weeks before this for artemisinic acid. Transplanting gave higher yields of both dry leaf and antimalarial constituents than drilled seed in one field experiment but similar yields in a second experiment. Competition for light was probably a significant factor in the first case and both methods probably have similar potential. A. annua L achieved a maximum yield of both dry matter and antimalarial constituents at pH 5.5 – 6.0 but some varieties have a wide tolerance of pH up to 8.0. Leaf dry matter yield increased up to a density of 20 plants/m2 with little effect on concentration of antimalarial constituents. | |
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