Cultivation Opportunities of Sideritis Tmolea (Lamiaceae)

Abstract

Sideritis species belonging to the Lamiaceae family, locally known as "Dağ Çayı", "Yayla Çayı" and "Adaçayı", are generally consumed as a medicinal tea. Sideritis tmolea is a perennial endemic species known as “Sivri Çay” around Bozdağlar Ödemiş, İzmir; It is among the endangered species due to excessive grazing pressure, afforestation works, unconscious and uncontrolled collection. With this study, some agronomic characteristics of S. tmolea, which grows as a natural local endemic in Bozdağ, were examined and the possibilities of cultivation under culture conditions were investigated. The study was established in Ege University Ödemiş Vocational School trial field and Ege University Botanical Garden-Herbarium Research and Application Center with 3 replications. The plant’s agronomic characteristics were determined by measuring the number of shoots, plant height, plant surface area, green herb yield, and drug-herb yield values. With the seeds collected from Bozdağlar populations, germination studies with 3 replications were carried out in petri dishes and viols in 2 different photoperiods, 12 hours light-12 hours dark, and 24 hours dark, and temperature values of 10C°, 20C° and 25C°. As a result of the evaluation, it was determined that the plants obtained from the cuttings were more efficient in terms of drug herb yield than those obtained from the seeds, but the survival success of the plants obtained from the seeds was higher. In light of these data, it has been determined that the plant can be cultivated in Ödemiş conditions. It has been concluded that the species can be evaluated in terms of its continuity in the natural population and as an alternative product for the local farmer.