Document Type : Research Article
Authors
Ferdowsi University of Masshad
Abstract
Although mint species are very sensitive to water deficit stress, but their reaction may be different to reduction of water in soil during growing season. In order to evaluate response of three Mentha species to water deficit stress, an experiment was carried out in a factorial-randomized design with five replication in controlled conditions and Mentha longifolia (wildmint), Mentha spicata (spearmint) and Mentha piperita (peppermint) species were subject to four soil moisture regimes (100, 80, 60, 40 of field capacity (FC)). Plants were on 70% of flowering at the harvest time. Characteristics were included percent of survival, number of total branches and stolon, number of leaf, length of total branches, green area and total dry matter. The results showed that soil moisture treatments had significant effect on survival of three mint species, because spearmint’s survival was 100 in 60 FC, while in wildmint and peppermint were decreased to 70 percent. In peppermint number of total branches and stolon were significantly excel as compare as two other species, however in spearmint number of total leaf, green area and total dry matter were more than two other species, whereas length of total branches in wildmint were higher than spearmint and peppermint. Spearmint had the greatest dry matter in 100 percent of FC and reduction of soil moisture to 80 percent of FC caused 35 percent reduction in previously mentioned parameter, while in wildmint and peppermint 62 and 56 percent reduction were observed, respectively. However spearmint was more tolerant than two other species to water deficit stress, but more study must be achieved for better understanding of mint responses to water deficit stress
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