The objectives of this study were to evaluate the biomass, yield and composition of essential oil of Melissa officinalis L. under differents seasons, systems of planting and fertilizations. The experimental design was a randomized block design (RBD), in a factorial 2 x 2 x 2 with two seasons of harvest (summer and winter), two systems of planting (greenhouse and field) and two types of fertilizer (mineral and organic). The harvest consisted of cutting all plants of central line. After harvest, it were evaluated the leaf fresh weight, height of the plant, length and width of the leaves. The essential oil extraction was performed by hydrodistillation and the chemical composition was performed by gas chromatography coupled by mass spectrometry. The major constituents were geranial and neral in summer harvest and geranial, neral and citronellal in winter harvest. The conditions of the greenhouse and the summer presented the better biomass, higher yield of oil and higher rate of citral.
lemon balm; greenhouse; essential oil
