Chemical compositions and yield of essential oil from sage (Salvia officinalis L.) under organic inputs,L-phenylalanine, and varying moisture levels

The effects of the foliar application of L-phenylalanine, organic inputs, and different soil moisture conditions on the phytochemistry of the essential oil of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) were investigated. This field study was done according to a split-plot in time and place design in West of Iran in two experimental years. According to essential oils analysis by GC-FID and GC/MS, the major compounds of the sage essential oil were oxygenated monoterpenes, including camphor (32-39%), 1,8-cineole (25-31%), α-thujone (19-23%), and β-thujone (3-4%). The highest values of these oxygenated monoterpenes were obtained from the optimum soil moisture and foliar spraying with 50% L-phenylalanine under an organic farming system, which significantly influenced the quantity and quality of the biologically active compounds of sage. In conclusion, the foliar spray of L-phenylalanine under organic inputs, and their interaction could ameliorate the dry matter yield and essential oil compounds of sage in environmentally friendly agriculture conditions.