ABSTRACT


TALIA GUTIERREZ H.1
 

In 1946-47 an experimental trial on Mentha piperita L. was conducted in Estación Genética de Paine (Prov. de Santiago), and it dealt with the following subjects:
1) What is the most favorable growth period to harvest peppermint in order to obtain the best yield of essential oil per hectare.
2) What is the most favorable period of growth to harvest peppermint in order to obtain the best quality of essential oil, that is, oil with the highest free menthol tenor.
This trial was designed in randomized blocks and calculated in accordance with the Analysis of Variance Method of R. A. Fisher.
Nine harvest were made, each corresponding to a different, growth period.
The results showed that in order to obtain the best yield in essential oil per hectare, peppermint should be harvested at the flowering stage.
It was found also that at the flowering stage peppermint produces essential oil of highest quality, i.e. oil with the highest free menthol tenor.
It was observed that the harvest could be slightly advances with repect te the flowering period, but any delay in harvesting beyond that period produced unsatisfactory results.

Keywords:
1 Tesis para optar al título de Ingeniero Agronómo de la Universidad de Chile