New grade of mint Lada for growing for chemist’s leaf

Abstract

The purpose. To create a grade of peppermint with high indexes of autoadaptivity, productivity, ecological pliability, suitable for growing for chemist’s leaf. The grade should have gentle delicate aroma and high palatability of mint oil at moderate quantitative content of menthol (up to 50%). Methods. The new grade of mint Lada is created by method of interspecific artificial hybridization. Female plant of grade Lada was allo-polyploid form of peppermint Mentha piperita 2n=144, paternal — M. spicata K 65. Probes were spent according to techniques on selection and agrotechnique of essential oilbearing crops with the use of field and laboratory methods. Results. Grade Lada is characterized by high productivity of dry leaves and racemes (17,3 c/hectare at 14% damp), have the heightened winter-hardiness, resistance to leaf rust, mildew and septoria spot. Productivity of green mass — 85,4 c/hectare. The yield of essential oil from annual crop is 37,5 kg/hectare, from 2-years — 89,2 kg/hectare. That exceeds indices for grade-standard Krasnodar 2 accordingly on 28,9 and 26,9%. The grade is characterized by high energy of aftergrowing and friendly flowering of plants. Special attention is deserved with quality of essential oil of new grade, which essential ingredients are menthol with menthone and methyl-acetate. They give to oil sweet gentle aroma and ensure high tasting assessment that meets European standard, and leaves and racemes are suitable as raw material (chemist’s leaves). Vegetative period is 100 days. Conclusions. The grade Lada grows is a result of implementation in practical selection of theoretical development on genetic monitoring of biosynthesis of oleoresins in mint. Use of new grade of mint will increase production of mint chemist’s leaf for farmaceutical industry and mint essential oil for perfumery-cosmetic industry. It will also increase profitableness of this crop in equipments of different patterns of ownership. Economic efficiency of grade Lada cultivation for chemist’s leaf makes 3100 hrn/hectare, for essential oil — 1260 hrn/hectare as compared to the standard.