HERBAGE YIELD, ESSENTIAL OIL CONTENT AND COMPONENTS OF CULTIVATED AND NATURALLY GROWN Origanum syriacum

Origanum spp. is one of the most economically important culinary herbs in the World. Essential oil content, essential oil components and dry leaf color are the most important quality criterion in the oregano market. Origanum syriacum var. bevanii is both gathered from the nature and cultivated under the field condition. This study was conducted to determine herbage yield and quality criterion between cultivated and naturally grown oregano. Compared with non-cultivated wild oregano, cultivated oregano at the first and second harvest had the highest plant height, dry herbage yield in 2011 and 2012. The essential oil content of cultivated and naturally grown oregano varied between 2.9-3.5%, and between 2.4-3.5%, respectively. Essential oil component ratios of cultivated and naturally grown oregano were similar. Main essential oil components were carvacrol, beta-terpinene, beta-Cymene, alpha-thujene, beta-myrcene and caren in both production type. Cultivated oregano had higher plant height, herbage yield and essential oil content than that of the wild grown oregano. Although there was not a visual difference between leaf color of natural grown and cultivated oregano, cultivated oregano was more homogenous and contains higher amount of essential oil than that of naturally grown oregano to meet quality criterion.