MAP crops in dryland of Aragon (Spain): an alternative to farmers

Promoting crops with lower water requirements than traditional ones may be a key point in preventing desertification of many Spanish regions. Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are an alternative, which can be transformed into added value products improving the incomes of the growers in rural areas. The Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon, where the process of the domestication of the species was developed, has conducted a 5-year trial in a plantation located in Bernues (Aragon, Spain). The essential oil (EO) yield and quality of seven species (Satureja montana L., Origanum vulgare L. ssp. virens, Salvia officinalis L., Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. 'Grosso', 'Super' and 'Abrial', and Lavandula angustifolia M. clon Mallette) were evaluated. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation with a Clavenger apparatus and their chemical composition was characterized by GC-MS. Lavandin Grosso presented the maximum average EO yield (3.53%), ranging between 2.40% and 5.60% probably due to meteorological factors of each season. The rest of species from G degrees Lavandula also gave higher yield than the other species but no differences were observed among them. The analysis of individual constituents revealed that the main components of lavandins and Lavandula angustifolia were linalool, ranging from 24.44 to 48.50% depending on the species. Moreover, S. montana presented 59.30% of carvacrol. Although further studies may be needed to evaluate the EO yield and quality at an industrial level, the results suggest that this species could be an alternative for conventional crops to provide EO to different industries.