The Effect of Organic and Chemical Fertilizers on Content and Composition of Essential Oil in Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.)

In this research the effects of organic and chemical fertilizers on essential oil content and composition of lemon balm were investigated. This research was conducted in completely block randomized design with 4 replications in 2019 and 2020. Treatments were organic fertilizers (from source of horse, sheep, cow, hen and vermicompost) and complete chemical fertilizer of NPK (20-20-20). The most essential oil content was observed in chemical fertilizer that was the same group with vermicompost and organic fertilizer from source of hen. The most of essential oil composition were myrcene, phellandrene, linalool, limonen, cis-beta ocimene, citronellal, iso-menthone, nerol, citronellol, neral, geraniol, geranial, geranyl acetate, e-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide. Citronellal, citronellol and geranyl acetate that are classified as non cyclic monoterpene, made more than 60% of essential oil content in all of treatments. In two years observed that the most significant correlation indexes were between essential oil content with linalool, limonen, citronellol, geranial and geranyl acetate. It seems that organic fertilizers increased the nutrient uptake and assimilation and consequently the amount and components of essential oil of the plant increased.