HERBAGE YIELD AND ESSENTIAL OIL QUALITY OF THREE CULTIVARS OF SAGE (SALVIA OFFICINALIS L.) GROWN IN TWO ITALIAN ENVIRONMENTS

The fresh yields, the essential oil content, and the quality of three sage varieties (Salvia officinalis L., cv. “Extrakta”, “Regula” and “IPPO”) as affected by different environments and harvest time were determined. Sites had large effects on all parameters recorded. In the first year the highest fresh herbage yield (18.1 t ha-1) was produced from the cultivar “Ippo” in the southern Italy (Policoro); the second year marked increases were recorded in both locations. The highest essential oil content, about 1.5 mL 100 g^-1, was accumulated in southern station. Aroma, oil content and composition was strongly affected by the environment, cultivars and harvest dates. The best aroma was achieved in the second harvest during the second growing season with the cultivar “IPPO”, in both the localities with the highest content of - and -thujone and 1,8-cineole and the lowest level of camphor. The southern environments seem to be more suitable for an early and a high fresh herbage yield, while in the northern ones more stable productions are possible, but less rich in essential oil.