Description of a Collection of Salvia Sclarea L. In Terms of Its Biochemical Properties

Abstract

The study object is the accumulation of essential oil in the inflorescences of clarysage, the content of its main components and the sclareol yield. The study purpose is to analyze a collection of clarysage (112 specimens) in terms of the basic biochemical properties (the essential oil content in raw material, its chemical composition and the sclareol yield) and to identify the specimens showing good prospects for inclusion in the breeding process. The study was carried out in 2018–2020 at the experimental plot of the Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea located in the piedmont region of Crimea (KrymskayaRoza village, Belogorsk district). The climate is moderate continental. The average year-round temperature is +10 °С. The average year-round air humidity is 70%, the hydrothermic factor is 0.91. The accounting and analyses were performed in accordance with the techniques developed. The study revealed higher degree of genetic determination of the essential oil buildup in plants as compared to the weather effect. As noted, increased precipitation and extremely high temperatures during the plant flowering and seed formation time affect negatively the sclareol buildup. The variability of the properties analyzed (Cv=7.8–23.4%) bears evidence to a feasibility of selecting promising parent material for breeding. Based on the outcomes of the collection analysis there have been isolated 12 specimens leaving behind the varieties cultivated in terms of the basic biochemical properties including five specimens with a high mass fraction of essential oil – 0.90–1.06% on the dry basis (as compared to 0.6–0.88% in the varieties cultivated) and seven specimens with a high sclareol content in raw material – 2.00–2.35% (as compared to 1.58–1.71% in the varieties cultivated).