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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Influence of season, harvest time and plant part on the yield and chemical composition of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.) essential oil

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13217
Submitted
15 December 2025
Published
21-07-2026 — Updated on 29-09-2026
Versions

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of season, harvest time and plant part on the essential oil yield and chemical composition of Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (rosemary). The experiment was conducted during 2022–2024 at the Division of Forest Products and Utilization, Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST-Kashmir. Essential oils (EO) were extracted from leaves, flower and complete branches collected during morning, afternoon and evening in spring and autumn seasons, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis for chemical profiling. The results demonstrated that seasonal and diural variations significantly affected EO yield and composition. Spring harvest produced comparatively higher oil yields than autumn collection, with complete branches and morning harvest, showing superior performance. Chemical analysis revealed qualitative and quantitative variations in major constituents with 8-cineole (17.24 %), α-pinene (13.16 %) and bornyl acetate (5.13 %) identified as dominant compounds. The finding highlights the importance of optimising harvest conditions to enhance EO yield and quality, providing practical insights for commercial cultivation and value addition of rosemary.

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