Effect of Different Row Spaces on Yield and Quality of Anise (Pimpinella anisum) under Eskisehir Ecological Conditions

Abstract

To determine the effect of different row spaces on the yield, yield component and quality characteristics of Pimpinella anisum L., the field experiments were carried out in University of Eskisehir Osmangazi, Agricultural Faculty using randomized complete block design with three replications in 2017 and 2018. The row spaces used in the field experiments were 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 cm. The effect of different row spaces on plant height (cm), number of branches with umbels per plant, 1000 seed weight (g), seed yield (t ha -1 ), essential oil content (%), essential oil yield (L ha -1 ) and essential oil composition of anise was determined in this study. Generally, increasing row spaces reduced the plant height while increasing number of branches with umbels per plant. The highest seed and essential oil yields were determined in 30 cm and 20 cm row spaces as 0.79 t ha -1 and 21.08 L ha -1 , respectively. Essential oil contents obtained from the experiment varied between 2.37% and 3.06%, and it was observed that essential oil contents are above the 2% limit stated in the European pharmacopoeia. The anise essential oil samples were characterized by the occurrence of 17 various components, of which cuminaldehyde (33.745-37.098%), p-cymene (14.643-16.865%), γ-terpinene-7-al (10.590-13.407%), γ-terpinene (9.587-11.986%) and β-pinene (8.606-10.461%) were the main components. When the results obtained from the experiment were evaluated, it was observed that the most appropriate row spacing for anise cultivation under Eskisehir Ecological condition was 30 cm.