Effect of the choice of different row arrangements on the bio-agronomical behaviour of Origanum heracleoticum

Origanum heracleoticum L. (oregano) is one of the most important aromatic crops growing spontaneously in the Mediterranean area. Besides being used since ancient times in many traditional recipes, oregano becomes increasingly appreciated even today. One of the reasons is the essential oil, containing a lot of principles possessing antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Based on the demand a well established cultivation may economically supply the drug. This work summarises the results of a cultivation trial performed in Sparacia in a typical semi-arid Mediterranean environment. The maximum dry yields were obtained in the twin-row arrangement (1 m between and 0.5 m inside) in the second and third years of cultivation. Spacing effected the number of branches, age of the plants influenced almost all of the production characteristics. We found a significant interaction between the examined factors in case of the shoot mass, stem mass and number of flowers.