Changes in Mineral and Terpene Concentration Following Calcium Fertilization of Chrysanthemum boreale M.

3 Abstract: With increasing concerns for health-improving foods, the demand for the flowers of Chrysanthemum boreale M. has become higher than ever. To fulfill the increasing demand for a high quality flower we investigated the changes induced by calcium application on the terpene yield, mineral content and plant growth of C. boreale M. The results showed that the maximum flower yield was achieved at 2.1 ton CaCO ha . The 3 -1 dry weight of the flower and the total plant yield increased significantly up to 1.5 ton CaCO ha treatment. 3 -1 Further addition of calcium beyond this point was counterproductive. Photosynthetic responses were increased at 1.5 ton CaCO ha compared to the control. The calcium content and uptake by the flowers of C. boreale M. 3 -1 increased significantly with increasing calcium application rate. Increasing calcium application rate correlated positively with flower sesquiterpene lactone, essential contents and yield. At 1.5 ton CaCO ha terpene content 3 -1 was increased sesquiterpenes (30.4%) and monoterpenoids (9.5%), compared to the control. The most striking increase was in the concentrations of germacrene-D (39.4%) and epi-sesquiphellandrene (29.5%) compared to the control. This experiment suggests that calcium application could improve the yield and quality of the flower in C. boreale M.