Salvia officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) is cultivated in many countries as a valuable medicinal and aromatic plant with antiseptic and spasmolytic effects due to its essential oils, used as ingredient in many phytopreparations. The present study aimed to enhance the growth of S. officinalis plants and to improve the essential oil quality, applying hydroponic technology. Seeds of cultivated S. officinalis were used as initial material: experimental seeds were germinated on aeroponic vertical system into peat cubes in pots with keramzite and control ones in terrines with ordinary soil. All seedlings were transferred to the greenhouse in pots with sterilized compost and universal soil mixture. The morphometric parameters of both groups, 80 seedlings each, were compared after two months; 36 plants per group were transferred to the field plot, and herbage of 10 randomly chosen plants per group was harvested during the full flowering stage in two consecutive years. Essential oils were extracted on Clevenger apparatus and their composition was analyzed by GC/MS. Conventionally obtained seedlings were significantly higher (P<0.001), while aeroponically derived plants increased their biomass by 18.4%, ramified earlier, and developed much more generative shoots (p<0.05). Plants’ size of the two groups equalized at the second year, essential oils yield being about 1.1% w/v. Some fluctuations in essential oils composition was noticed in the two groups and the two years. To summarize, application of aeroponic system shortened the period from germination to harvest, enhanced plants flowering and reflected on the composition of the essential oils.

sage, medicinal and aromatic plant; hydroponic technologies, cultivation

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia