Effect of Vermicompost on Essential Oil Composition of (Satureja hortensis L.) Under Water Stress Condition

Effect of vermicompost treatments on essential oil content and composition of Satureja hortensis L. were studied under drought stress conditions. A factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications were conducted in greenhouse condition at University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Iran. In this experiment three levels of drought stress (Full irrigation, water cut in 50 % of flowering, and water cut in early stages of flowering) and vermicompost (volume ratios of 0, 10, 20 and 30 % v/v of pots) was analyzed. The results indicated that, the highest essential oil contents (1.43 and 1.4 %) was produced in 30 % v/ v of pots vermicompost and followed by the highest level of stress respectivley. The lowest essential oil content (1.06 %) was produced in plants grown in medium without any vermicompost. The major compounds of essential oil were carvacrol (50.8 - 59 %), gamma-Terpinene (21 - 25.5 %), alpha-Terpinene (2.6 - 5.7 %), p-Cymene (2.2 - 4 %), alpha-thujene (1.3 - 2.6 %), beta-Myrcene (0.82 - 2 %) and alpha-Pinene (1.06 - 1.8 %). Results suggested that irrigation based on water cut in early stages of flowering, with application of 30 % v/v vermicompost can improve essential oil content in Satureja hortensis cultivation.