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Influence of Harvesting Method on Rotenoid Yields from Tepbrosia vogelii Hook F. 1
Author(s) -
Gaskins M. H.,
Stone E. G.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1971.00021962006300060023x
Subject(s) - clipping (morphology) , hook , biology , agronomy , botany , horticulture , structural engineering , engineering , philosophy , linguistics
The leaves of Tephrosia vogelii , a potential commercial source of rotenoids for insecticides and piscicides, were harvested by two methods: by stripping all leaflets from mature plants at one time, and by clipping the entire plant tops two or more times. The repeated clipping procedure gave higher rotenoid yields. New top growth developed when the plants were first clipped at 45, 60 or 75 cm above ground level. After the second harvest, growth was slow and erratic. The clipping heights of 60 and 75 cm gave best yields with three of four breeding lines tested. The harvested material contained 20 to 30% stems when the clipping procedure was used. These were not woody, and were judged suitable for extraction by any process adapted to leaves alone.