Herb yield and essential oil of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) at different locations

Authors

• S. Hälvä Dept. of Horticulture, University of Helsinki, SF-00710 Helsinki, Finland
• R. Huopalahti Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Turku, SF-20500 Turku, Finland
• CH. Franz Inst. for Vegetable Growing, Technical University of Munich, 8050 Freising, West Germany

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72280

Abstract

A study on the effect of growing site on the growth of the dill herb at three locations (Helsinki, Sahalahti, Inari) in Finland and at Freising, West Germany, was carried out in 1985. The growing medium was fertilized peat of the same quality at each location. Dill (’Dura’) was sown twice, in early spring and 2—3 weeks later at all growing sites. The herb crop was harvested just when the first flower buds had developed. The later sowings gave significantly larger yields than the earlier ones. The herb yields were largest at the most southern location. The fresh yield was the larger the more rain there was, and the warmer the growing season was. The significantly highest oil contents were recorded in the herb of the later sowings at Freising and Sahalahti. Otherwise, no differences in the oil content were recorded. The correlation between the oil content and degree days was positive. The total amount of components responsible for the aroma varied between 4.5 and 7.9 mg/g dry weight. The amount of essential oil and that of a typical aroma compound in dill, 3.6-dimethyl-2,3,3a,4,5,7a-hexahydrobenzofuran, were not significantly affected by the location.