Essential oil production in aromatic plants is influenced by biotic and abiotic factors. The demand for these products has increased, and essential oils from the genus Mentha have been of great interest for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and agronomic industries, especially because of the compound menthol. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of three row spaces (0.60 x 0.15 m; 0.60 x 0.30 m and 0.60 x 0.45 m) and two harvest times (60 and 90 days after planting) on the species Mentha campestris Schur. The experiment was carried out at Canguiri Experimental Stations-UFPR, in Pinhais, Paraná State , Brazil, between January and April 2008. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in split-plot. There was significant difference for all variables. In the second harvest time, leaf, branch and total dry yields were higher than those in the first time. For leaf dry mass, the highest values were observed in the narrowest space. Essential oil yield was higher in the second harvest and in wider rows. Essential oil productivity was also higher in the second harvest time, but in the narrowest row. The space 0.60 x 0.15 m and harvest at 90 days can be recommended due to their higher biomass, essential oil yield and menthol productivity per hectare.
mint; spacing; harvest; essential oil; menthol
