Medicinal Chemistry

Ethiopian Rue (Ruta chalapensis L.) Genotypes Morphological and Biological Performance at Different Locations of Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Desta Fikadu Egata* and Aynalem Gebre Gosa

Rue is an aromatic is evergreen plant used for multipurpose that used for traditional medicine and in Ethiopia mainly used flavoring coffee addition to its medicinal
benefit. There is limitation of knowledge, experience, modern scientific evidences and information on Ethiopian R. chalenpesnsis genotypes because the
experiment was undergone the aim to minimize the aforementioned gaps. The experiment was held for one year in 2019 up to 2020 G.C. at three different locations
using 10 (ten) selected promising superior genotypes from selected during characterization of accessions. Selected genotypes were tested using Randomized
Complete Block Design following the procedures of Gomez and Gomez in three replications. Rue genotypes were planted in six rows of 3-meter length on the
commencement of main rainy season using 60 cm between plant and row spacing. Data was collected from different traits such as; plant height, number of
branches/plants, fresh leaf weight/branch, fresh leaf weight/plant, leaf to stem ratio, leaf yield/ha, percent essential oil content and essential oil yield/ha. All tested
traits very significantly affected by locations and genotypes during this experiment. The phenology of the genotypes is highly affected by location different; rue
genotypes give more fruits early at high land and more leaves at low lands. Maximum leaf yield and leaf essential oil yield/ha was obtained at Arba Minch and
maximum fruit essential oil yield/ha at Wondo genet from genotypes 1and 5 respectively. Based on this experiment result high altitude agroecology is more suitable
for production and low altitude is for leaf production.