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Abstract
Salvia officinalis L. is an aromatic and medicinal species that has medicinal and antioxidative properties. Studying the growth, productivity, and nutrient absorption of this plant under different water regimes is necessary to optimize its cropping techniques. Five irrigation regimes (100, 75, 50, 25, and 0% of ET0) were tested in this trial, through two consecutive years, at two sites during the maximum water-demanding season (June–August period of 2003 and 2004), applied by drip irrigation. The effects of water regimes were tested under extreme climatic conditions (summer in Vega del Guadalquivir, Seville). Data were collected on dry-matter production, mineral nutrition, essential oil production, and the concentrations of bioelements in the airborne organs of the plant to determine the influence of water stress on these indexes. Results showed a significant effect of water regime on dry-matter production, essential oil content, and bioelement concentrations of the plant. Reduced irrigation (from 100% to 0% of ET0) caused a decrease of the dry weight (73% of the commercial production of the plant), essential oil production (69%), and an increase of the nitrogen (N) content of the airborne organs of the plant (15%), together with a decrease of the levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) (21, 25, and 10%, respectively). These results confirm that S. officinalis production is limited by availability of water.