Impact of Plant Density and Mepiquat Chloride on Growth, Yield, and Silymarin Content of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Grown under Mediterranean Semi-Arid Conditions
Milk thistle (<i>Silybum marianum</i> (L.) Gaertn.) is a promising new crop in the Mediterranean region. Its seeds contain silymarin, a complex of flavonolignans, which is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly to produce dietary supplements. To meet the increasing demand for...
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doaj-844606f71bf84bfd851c8152d0fe77c72021-04-02T05:32:36ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952019-10-0191166910.3390/agronomy9110669agronomy9110669Impact of Plant Density and Mepiquat Chloride on Growth, Yield, and Silymarin Content of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Grown under Mediterranean Semi-Arid ConditionsDimitrios A. Arampatzis0Anestis C. Karkanis1Nikolaos G. Tsiropoulos2Analytical Chemistry and Pesticides Laboratory, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, GreeceLaboratory of Weed Science, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, GreeceAnalytical Chemistry and Pesticides Laboratory, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, GreeceMilk thistle (<i>Silybum marianum</i> (L.) Gaertn.) is a promising new crop in the Mediterranean region. Its seeds contain silymarin, a complex of flavonolignans, which is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly to produce dietary supplements. To meet the increasing demand for milk thistle, the production and productivity of milk thistle should also be optimized by employing adequate cultivation practices. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of plant density and a plant growth regulator on milk thistle crop growth, seed yield, and silymarin accumulation under Mediterranean semi-arid conditions. Our results showed that plant density had a significant impact on milk thistle crop growth and seed yield. The main crop characteristics, such as height, aboveground biomass, and seed yield were greatest when plant density was the highest. Increased plant density significantly reduced the silymarin content only in 2018. In contrast, mepiquat chloride (MC) treatment did not affect the following traits: plant biomass, relative chlorophyll content, silymarin content, and production. Nevertheless, mepiquat chloride reduced the plant height by 7.9−14.8%, depending on the application rates and growth conditions. Moreover, the impact of climatic conditions on milk thistle production and quality was significant, since the lowest values of silymarin content and seed yield were recorded in the year with drought conditions during the period from March to May.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/11/669biomassflavonolignansmediterranean environmentmilk thistleplant growth regulators |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Dimitrios A. Arampatzis Anestis C. Karkanis Nikolaos G. Tsiropoulos |
spellingShingle |
Dimitrios A. Arampatzis Anestis C. Karkanis Nikolaos G. Tsiropoulos Impact of Plant Density and Mepiquat Chloride on Growth, Yield, and Silymarin Content of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Grown under Mediterranean Semi-Arid Conditions Agronomy biomass flavonolignans mediterranean environment milk thistle plant growth regulators |
author_facet |
Dimitrios A. Arampatzis Anestis C. Karkanis Nikolaos G. Tsiropoulos |
author_sort |
Dimitrios A. Arampatzis |
title |
Impact of Plant Density and Mepiquat Chloride on Growth, Yield, and Silymarin Content of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Grown under Mediterranean Semi-Arid Conditions |
title_short |
Impact of Plant Density and Mepiquat Chloride on Growth, Yield, and Silymarin Content of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Grown under Mediterranean Semi-Arid Conditions |
title_full |
Impact of Plant Density and Mepiquat Chloride on Growth, Yield, and Silymarin Content of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Grown under Mediterranean Semi-Arid Conditions |
title_fullStr |
Impact of Plant Density and Mepiquat Chloride on Growth, Yield, and Silymarin Content of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Grown under Mediterranean Semi-Arid Conditions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact of Plant Density and Mepiquat Chloride on Growth, Yield, and Silymarin Content of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Grown under Mediterranean Semi-Arid Conditions |
title_sort |
impact of plant density and mepiquat chloride on growth, yield, and silymarin content of <i>silybum marianum</i> grown under mediterranean semi-arid conditions |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Agronomy |
issn |
2073-4395 |
publishDate |
2019-10-01 |
description |
Milk thistle (<i>Silybum marianum</i> (L.) Gaertn.) is a promising new crop in the Mediterranean region. Its seeds contain silymarin, a complex of flavonolignans, which is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly to produce dietary supplements. To meet the increasing demand for milk thistle, the production and productivity of milk thistle should also be optimized by employing adequate cultivation practices. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of plant density and a plant growth regulator on milk thistle crop growth, seed yield, and silymarin accumulation under Mediterranean semi-arid conditions. Our results showed that plant density had a significant impact on milk thistle crop growth and seed yield. The main crop characteristics, such as height, aboveground biomass, and seed yield were greatest when plant density was the highest. Increased plant density significantly reduced the silymarin content only in 2018. In contrast, mepiquat chloride (MC) treatment did not affect the following traits: plant biomass, relative chlorophyll content, silymarin content, and production. Nevertheless, mepiquat chloride reduced the plant height by 7.9−14.8%, depending on the application rates and growth conditions. Moreover, the impact of climatic conditions on milk thistle production and quality was significant, since the lowest values of silymarin content and seed yield were recorded in the year with drought conditions during the period from March to May. |
topic |
biomass flavonolignans mediterranean environment milk thistle plant growth regulators |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/11/669 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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