Calidad de cardo mariano (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.) cosechado en diferentes estados fenológicos

Abstract

Two milk thistle genotypes (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.), German and Chilean, were cultivated to determine the most suitable moment of harvest. A randomized complete block design with a split plot arrangement and four replicates was used. The main plot was harvested timeliness (2, 4, 6 y 10 mature capitula in 50% of the plants) and the subplot was the genotype. For the harvest, the weight of 1000 seeds, the percentage of mature seeds and the Silymarin content were evaluated. Always the German genotype showed higher mature seed proportion and with higher weight than the Chilean one. However, the Chilean genotype seeds showed higher Silymarin content. This study concluded that the most adequate moment for harvest is the physiological state of four mature capitula for both genotypes.