Cultivation and Domestication of Thymbra spicata L., a Medicinal Plant

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Khorramabad, Iran

2 IInstitude of forest and rangelands, AREEO Tehran, Iran.

10.22091/ethc.2026.15770.1080

Abstract

Objective: Thymbra spicata L. is a perennial evergreen shrub of the Lamiaceae family, naturally distributed in western Iran and widely recognized for its medicinal properties. Traditionally, it has been used to treat sore throat, oral ulcers, stomachache, headache, and toothache. Due to increasing demand and pressure on natural populations, this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of its domestication and cultivation by investigating the effects of propagation methods and irrigation regimes on biomass production and essential oil yield.
Methods: A factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted under field conditions. Treatments consisted of two irrigation regimes (rainfed and irrigation at 10-day intervals) and three propagation methods (seed, stem cuttings, and plant division). Fresh and dry biomass production, essential oil yield, and phenological characteristics were evaluated.
Results: The highest fresh biomass (18,266.67 kg ha⁻¹), dry biomass (6,026.67 kg ha⁻¹), and essential oil yield (254.12 kg ha⁻¹) were obtained from plants propagated by stem cuttings under irrigated conditions. These values were significantly higher than those of the other propagation methods.
Conclusion: The results demonstrated that irrigation significantly improved plant height, lateral branching, and fresh and dry biomass production. Among the propagation methods, stem cuttings ensured faster establishment, greater aboveground growth, and superior biomass yield compared with plant division. Irrigation enhanced fresh biomass by about twofold in divided plants and 1.7-fold in stem-cutting-propagated plants. Overall, the combination of stem cutting propagation and regular irrigation proved to be the most efficient strategy for successful domestication, maximizing biomass production, and achieving economically sustainable cultivation of Thymbra spicata L. under cultivated conditions

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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