New source of planting material for quality cultivation of menthol-mint (Mentha arvensis L.)

A field experiment was conducted to standardize the source of transplanting material and method for off-season (kharif season) menthol-mint (Mentha arvensis L.) cultivation. For this purpose, stem and stolons were evaluated as transplanting materials and their responses were ascertained with respect of yield, yield attributes, and essential oil quality using conventional and furrow-irrigated raised bed (FIRB) methods. The results revealed that different transplanting materials, stem and stolons, were similar in biomass yield, yield attributes, and nutrient uptake. Transplanting of menthol-mint on FIRB (1.2-m wide) provided significantly higher yield, yield attributes, and nutrient uptake as compared to other methods of transplanting. Stem-transplanted menthol-mint crop provided significantly higher plant height (81.9 cm), number of branches plant(-1) (87), biomass yield (18.67 Mg ha(-1)), oil yield (205.4 L ha(-1)), menthol content (76.5%), and nutrient uptake under FIRB (1.2-m wide) as compared with the other treatments. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.