A melissa (Melissa officinalis) é uma planta medicinal comumente usada como calmante e ingerida na forma de chá. Para otimizar sua produção, este trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito de diferentes doses de esterco bovino, com relação ao fertilizante mineral na produção de biomassa foliar e teor de óleo essencial. O experimento foi conduzido na Universidade Federal de Uberlândia e no Instituto Agronômico de Campinas. O delineamento estatístico foi de blocos casualisados com seis tratamentos (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 kg m-2 de esterco bovino e 30 g m-2 de NPK 4-14-8), em quatro repetições. O óleo essencial foi extraído por hidrodestilação em equipamento tipo Clevenger modificado. As doses de esterco bovino influenciaram a altura de plantas, massa fresca total e massa seca foliar por planta e por hectare. As duas formas de adubação foram superiores à testemunha para praticamente todas as variáveis, exceto em relação ao comprimento e largura foliar, teor de óleo na matéria seca e fresca foliar. Conclui-se que a melissa responde à adubação orgânica com esterco bovino e adubação mineral para produção de biomassa.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a medicinal plant commonly used as a sedative and ingested as a tea. Studies on agricultural practices are required to optimize its yield. To optimize its production, this study evaluated the effect of different doses of organic fertilizer (cow manure) in comparison to mineral fertilizer on biomass production and essential oil yield. The experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and at the Agronomic Institute of Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks with six treatments (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 kg m-2 of manure and 30 g m-2 of NPK 4-14-8), and four replications. Hydro-distillation was done with a modified Clevenger distiller for essential oil extraction. Cattle manure influenced plant height, total fresh and dry mass of leaves, per plant and per hectare. The two fertilization forms were better than the non-fertilized control for all variables, except for leaf length and width and oil content in the leaf fresh and dry matter. It can be concluded that lemon balm is responsive to organic fertilization with manure and mineral fertilization for biomass production.

Melissa officinalis L., Lamiaceae, is an herb with great growth prospects in the cosmetic industry due to its essential oil. In order to improve its production, it is necessary to study related agricultural practices. This study evaluated the effect of organic and mineral fertilization on the chemical composition of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) essential oil. The assay was conducted at the "Fazenda Experimental do Glória" of the Federal University of Uberlândia, and essential oil extraction and GC/MS analyses were completed by the Centre for Research and Development on Plant Genetic Resources of the Campinas Agronomic Institute. The assay was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The tested treatments were six types of fertilization (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 kg.m-2 of cattle manure and mineral fertilizing with 60 g.m-2 of NPK 4-14-8 + 4 g.m-2 of boric acid) with four replications. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation in a modified Clevenger apparatus. The chemical composition was analyzed by GC/MS. The essential oil presented the same compounds for all treatments; however, the relative proportion of some chemical constituents was altered according to the treatment. Neral, geranial, and citronellal were the major constituents.

Avaliou-se o desenvolvimento das espécies de plantas medicinais, aromáticas e condimentares Mentha piperita (hortelã-pimenta) e Melissa officinalis (melissa) em diversas concentrações de solução nutritiva em sistema hidropônico NFT. Os experimentos foram implementados em ambiente protegido sendo as espécies semeadas em espuma fenólica com dimensões de 2,5x2,5x3 cm, com 3 sementes por cubo, irrigadas diariamente com água até a germinação e, posteriormente com solução nutritiva diluída em 50%. Após 15 dias para a melissa e 16 dias para a hortelã-pimenta, as mudas foram transferidas para as bancadas de desenvolvimento onde receberam solução nutritiva diluída em 75% por 12 dias, sendo as mudas posteriormente transplantadas para as bancadas de cultivo onde foram submetidas às concentrações da solução nutritiva até o momento da colheita. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas. As concentrações da solução nutritiva (I 50%, II 75%, III 100%, IV 125%) foram sorteadas nas parcelas e nas subparcelas avaliando-se o efeito da posição das plantas nos perfis hidropônicos (I - inicial, II - intermediária e III - final), totalizando 12 tratamentos, para cada espécie. Cada posição continha 5 conjuntos de plantas sendo utilizadas 3 repetições por tratamento. Foram avaliados a altura das plantas, número de folhas e brotos, peso fresco e seco, tanto da parte aérea quanto de raiz. Com relação à posição das plantas nos perfis, foi observada interação significativa entre os tratamentos para número de folhas e peso seco para menta e melissa, respectivamente, onde a posição inicial revelou ser o melhor tratamento. Ainda para melissa foi observada diferença significativa entre as posições para altura das plantas, peso fresco de raiz e peso fresco e seco de folhas, com a posição inicial tendo os maiores valores, apesar de não diferir significativamente da posição mediana.

The development of two medicinal, aromatic and condimentar species, Mentha piperita (peppermint) and Melissa officinalis (balm) was evaluated in different concentrations of nutritive solution in a NFT hidroponic system of cultivation. Three seeds of these two species were sowed on a fenolical spume (2,5x2,5x3 cm), and irrigated daily with water up to the germination and later with a nutrient solution diluted to 50%. After a period of 15 and 16 days for balm and peppermint, respectively, seedlings were transferred to the development workbenches made with polypropylene channels and received the nutrient solution diluted to 75% during 12 days. After this period, plants were transferred to cultivation on workbenches with different concentrations of nutritive solution until the harvest. The experimental design was conducted completely randomized on split-splot scheme, the concentration of nutrient solution being (I - 50%, II - 75%, III - 100%, IV - 125%) located on the plot and the position of plants in the channels (I - initial, II - intermediary, III - final) on the subplot with a total of three replications per treatment. A total of five plants was used in each position. The evaluated variables were plant height, number of leaves and buds, fresh and dry weight of leaves and roots. Analyzing the position of plants in the channels it was possible to observe significant interaction between treatments and in the number and leaves dry weight of balm and peppermint, respectively, the initial position being the best treatment in terms of plant growth. For balm were observed significant differences between the positions of plants in the channels in relation to plant height, root fresh weight and leaves fresh and dry weight, with the initial position having the higher values, despite of having no significant differences when compared with the intermediary position.