INFLUENCE OF GROWING CONDITIONS ON YIELD AND ESSENTIAL OIL OF CORIANDER DURING YEAR-ROUND CULTIVATION

S. GUHA¹, S. DEBNATH², A.B. SHARANGI^3
1Department of Spices and Plantation Crops, Faculty of Horticulture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur-741252, Nadia, West Bengal, India
²Department of Crop Improvement, Horticulture and Agricultural Botany, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India
³Department of Spices and Plantation Crops, Faculty of Horticulture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur-741252, Nadia, West Bengal, India

Received : 25-01-2016     Accepted : 06-02-2016     Published : 21-02-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 5       Pages : 1021 - 1026
Int J Agr Sci 8.5 (2016):1021-1026

Keywords : Coriander, Essential oil, Protected cultivation, Microclimate, Leaf yield
Academic Editor : Rymbai H., Attri B. L.
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : All the authors sincerely acknowledge the assistance and help of Dr M K Nanda during various stages of the study.
Author Contribution : None declared

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is an important crop for its tender leaves with characteristic flavor used for culinary preparations as well as the seed used mainly in powder form as spice. Protected cultivation in summer days is a possible alternative to farmers to manage external climatic factors, which may affect seed’s germination and plant biomass of coriander. To find out the relationship between growth and development of coriander with microclimate, a study was conducted under open and protected conditions. Result showed a significant negative correlation between maximum temperature (Tmax) with green leaf yield after one cut (r= -0.823*), green leaf yield after two cut (r= -0.862*) and essential oil content of leaf in no cut (r= -0.829*). Besides, essential oil of leaf in one cut was found positively correlated with both maximum relative humidity (RH max) (r= 0.861*) and minimum relative humidity (RH min) (r= 0.431). Significant negative correlation was observed between Tmax and seed yield (r= -0.853*). Interestingly RHmin and seed essential oil was positively correlated (r=0.880**). No correlation was found between Tmax fluctuation and leaf yield. RHmax was positively correlated with green yield after one cut (r= 0.996**) and green yield after two cut (r= 0.962**).