THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT HARVEST TIMES ON ESSENTIAL OIL AND YIELD OF SUMMER SAVORY (Satureja hortensis) UNDER THE ÇUKUROVA CONDITION

Abstract

Summer savory is one of the oldest known medicinal plants. It is grown as wild in Çukurova Region. The effects of harvest times on yield and oil content were studied and, the significant differences were found in terms of essential oils and drog yields influenced by ontogenetic stages. The optimum harvest times were flowering and post-flowering, for dry leaf yields with 53.5 and 55.5 kg/da, respectively. The highest essential oil content (1.41 %) was obtained from the harvest done during pre-flowering period.