ASHS 2015 Annual Conference

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a perennial herb primarily grown in tropical and subtropical regions. It has many useful characteristics, including medicinal, antibacterial, antifungal and insect repellant, but its potential to survive outside its tropical origins is uncertain. In the temperate climate of the Delmarva Peninsula, there is increasing interest in growing the plant outdoors instead of in controlled environments due to the cost. The objective of this study was to examine the potential to grow lemongrass in the moderate climate without sacrificing the phenolic and antioxidant capacity of the plant. All of the lemongrass was grown on an organic field site at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Experiment Station during 2013. After harvest in fall some plants were overwintered in the field. The remainder were transplanted to a greenhouse in fall 2013, and re-planted in the field in spring 2014. Both transplanted and overwintered lemongrass were grown in the same field once more until they were harvested in early fall, before the onset of frost. Biomass, yield of essential oil, phenolic content and antioxidant capacities in transplanted and overwintered lemongrass were evaluated. Harvested plants were freeze-dried for essential oil production using steam distillation. Freeze-dried samples were ground and extracted using 80% ethanol to determine total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacities including DPPH radical scavenging capacity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity. The overwintered plants were substantially larger in biomass than the transplanted ones (P<0.05). Essential oil yield, amounts of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacities were not different between overwintered and transplanted plants. The results showed that overwintering practice in moderate climate may increase biomass yield, but not affect essential oil production and antioxidant capacities in lemongrass, indicating the potential of lemongrass production in moderate climate. However, a study for extended periods is needed to confirm the observations of this study.