Abstract

RODRIGUEZ GONZALEZ, Horacio et al. Comparative study of monoculture and association of cultures in several medicinal plant species. Rev Cubana Plant Med [online]. 2008, vol.13, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1028-4796.

Rationale: It is important to study the potentialities of associated cultures within the agricultural ecosystem as an alternative for low input agriculture. Objectives: to research into the effect on the plant mass throughput of Aloe Vera (L.) N.L.Burm. association, as permanent culture, with the medical species Ocimum gratissimum L., Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Ocimum basilicum L., Plecthranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. and the comparison with the respective monocultures. Methods: In-situ experiments were made with the above-mentioned plant species in «Dr Juan Tomás Roig» Experimental Medicinal Plant Center areas, particularly on hydrated red iron-containing soils (Ferrasols). The evaluated parameters were the plant´s height before collection and the weight of fresh green mass in 10 randomly selected plants; these values were estimated by variance analysis and Duncan´s multiple rank test. Also, soil sampling and analysis of organic matter, total nitrogen, assimilable phosphorus and potassium at the beginning and at the end of experiments were also performed. Results: It was proved that as far as the studied species are concerned, association favoured the increase of agricultural throughputs and that higher contents of nutrients on the soil was found in the interspersed culture areas. Conclusions: the achieved results confirmed that these interspersed species in Aloe vera plantations could be appropriate for their exploitation because higher production indexes per surface unit than in a similar area with only one culture can be achieved.

Keywords : agricultural ecosystems; culture association; monoculture; medicinal plants.

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