Dill

Dill ( Anethum graveolens )

Dill, dill or dill ( Anethum graveolens ) is the only species of the monotypic genus Anethum and belongs to the carrot family ( Apiaceae ). She is originally from the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. Dill is in the German speaking part of one of the most cultivated spices.

• 7.1 cultivation
• 7.2 harvest
• 7.3 propagation
• 7.4 Storage
• 7.5 varieties

Description and ecology

Vegetative characteristics

Dill is a summer annual, annual herbaceous plant. It reaches heights of growth of usually 30 to 75 cm, rarely up to 120 centimeters. The whole plant is smooth, smells strongly aromatic and the color varies from light green to green-turquoise. The stems grow upright and branch out usually in the upper section. In particular, the lower leaves are three to four times pinnatisect, finely divided in borstliche sections; the upper leaves are less divided and smaller. Stipules absent. The sheaths have a length of one to two centimeters and are horned up.

Inflorescences, flowers and fruits

The large inflorescences are capable of supporting leafless, 15 - to 30 -beam double umbels, rarely up to 50 -beam. They have a diameter of 5-15 cm and contain ten to 25 umbellules. The umbellules have a diameter of 3 to 5 cm and containing 15 to 25 flowers. The flower stalks are 6 to 10 mm long. The small flowers are radial symmetry and fünfzählig. The five sepals are fused. The five petals are ( yolk ) yellow. It's just a circle with five stamens present. These are longer than the curled petals.

Two carpels are fused into one inferior ovary, which is shaped oblong and slightly compressed. The two pens are short. The flower has a nectar-secreting disc and is pollinated by various insects, but especially of beetles. The flowering period extends from May already partly, but mostly June to August.

The egg-shaped, brown, dry fruits gap ( Doppelachänen ) are 3 to 5 mm long, 1.8 to 2.5 mm wide and 0.6 to 0.8 mm thick. The thousand kernel weight is 1-2 g They fall into two narrow winged fruits part with a gray-white longitudinal ribs. The fruits usually ripen from July to September. As wing flyer they are spread out over the wind, also when wet as Adhäsionshafter.

Prevalence and significance of

The dill is originally used in the Middle East. In Central Europe it is rare to find wild.

System

Within the species Anethum graveolens three clans are distinguished which are partly classified as varieties, some as subspecies:

• Garden dill ( Anethum graveolens L. var hortorum Alef. ) With mainly carvone in the essential oil.
• Acker dill ( Anethum graveolens L. var graveolens )
• Indian dill ( Anethum graveolens L. subsp. Sowa sowa or f ) the garden dill is very similar, but less aromatic. It contains mainly Dillapiol and carvone.

History

Dill was already cultivated in ancient Egypt as a cultivated plant and used as a medicinal and culinary herb. Pharaoh Amenhotep II settled in 1400 BC with dill lay in the grave ..

In ancient Greece and Rome it was also used as a spice plant.

Dill spread to more than 5000 years ago from the eastern Mediterranean towards the Atlantic from. Its use in food preparation has been demonstrated for about 3600 BC in the western Alpine region.

According Central and Northern Europe, Dill came probably by monks who planted it in their monastery gardens. The dill water produced from the seeds affects digestion; the fruits were chewed for bad breath, but also the tea infusion of the leaves helps with stomach cramps and indigestion. In Capitulare de villis Charlemagne Dill is cited as anetum.

Ingredients

100 g of dried dill herb contains an average of 5.5 g water, 20 g protein, 4.0 g fat, 57.0 g carbohydrate, 12.0 g of fiber and 0.1 to 0.35 grams of essential oil. At minerals potassium with 3.3 g of calcium with 1.7 g of sodium and 0.2 g are worth mentioning. For use as a spice in the content of essential oils is crucial. In the leaves, their share is 2 to 4% in the fruits ( seeds) up to 8%. In the Garden Dill is the essential oil mainly ( 60%) of carvone. Other ingredients include limonene, α - and β -phellandrene, terpinene, Apiol, p- cymene, α -pinene and a hexahydro- benzofuran derivative which is responsible for the characteristic aroma. A total of 90 constituents are known.

The endosperm of the seed contains 15 to 20% of fatty oil and 20 % protein.

Diseases and Pests

Most of the diseases and pests that are occurring at Dill typical of Apiaceae such as carrots, parsley and celery.

Thus, viruses, such as cucumber mosaic virus ( Cucumber mosaic virus ), the celery mosaic virus ( Celery mosaic virus ), the parsley -Y virus ( Parsley virus Y, syn. Potyvirus PAVY ) and Luzernemosaikvirus ( alfalfa mosaic virus ), cause diseases that manifest themselves in piebald, discoloration, growth depression and necrosis of the leaves.

In addition, diseases caused by bacteria are known. Significance is Pseudomonas viridiflava and caused by various bacteria umbel blight ( Pseudomonas fluorescens, Erwinia carotovora subsp. Carotovora, Xanthomonas campestris pv carotae ).

In germination, the casserole disease Represent the biggest problem is caused by several fungi, especially Pythium sp. caused. The most economically important fungal culture during the remaining time is the Fusarium wilt ( Fusarium culmorum ). It destroys young stocks and damaged plants after flowering going strong. In case it requires a change of location of the cultures. However, the fungus Fusarium is not solely responsible for the wilting. The leaf blotch ( Itersonilia perplexans ) is rare. Mycosphaerella leaf spot cause even anethi known in fennel, Phoma complanata, Ascochyta anethicola. Powdery mildew (Erysiphe heraclei ), rust fungi have no economic importance in dill.

Animal pests are root- ( Meloidogyne hapla ), the rootworm Trichodorus christiei and the nematode Pratylenchus penetrans - type, is particularly sensitive to the dill. Various aphids infest dill, especially the Gierschblattlaus ( Cavariella aegopodii ) and bugs of the genus Lygus be mentioned. Rare damage Collembola ( Bourletiella sulphurea ), carrot psylla ( Trioza apicalis ) and leafminers. Other pests economically play a subordinate role.

Use

Cultivation

Dill is grown in the open field as well as a greenhouse culture. The cultivation takes place in the greenhouse in soil, growing media in pots. Also the soilless cultivation is possible, but except for sprouts rare today. After the planned use of cultivation for the fresh market, industrial goods and cultivation of medicinal plants is distinguished. Fresh produce comes from the cultivation of the federal government and pot plants. In German-speaking majority of the bunches comes from production in the field and pot plants almost exclusively from the greenhouse. The bulk goods for industrial processing are cultivated extensively and heavily mechanized. The cultivation for grain and in the cultivation of medicinal plants for herb drug production also comes from large-scale outdoor cultivation. Garden Dill is relative to the ground not very demanding, only compacted soils and waterlogging he can not tolerate. Optimally, moderate, warm, moist soils with a high organic matter content, such as fen sites. Optimal pH values ​​from 7 to 7.6. Climatically the cultivation throughout Europe could be made. In the field outweighs tillage, for forcing in the field also pre-cultivation in Torfpresstöpfen is widespread. Long days in the summer months to promote flowering, so dill is grown in southern countries, especially in winter and spring. Dill is a dark germinator. Other sources say the sowing depth that Dill is a light to germinate, " press seeds, do not cover with soil ." In addition, Dill is a Kaltkeimer: A cold treatment of about 7 days at 5-10 ° C is favorable for germination. Required for germination Dill about three weeks. The optimum germination temperature is between 10 and 30 ° C. Dill has a slow early growth and is therefore sensitive because of the open long lasting soil against weed infestation. If watered in addition on the climatic water balance, the fresh yield can be significantly increased. The nutrient needs of the crop for 30 t fresh matter yield per hectare is 65 kg N, 25 kg P2O5, 200 kg K2O, 10 kg MgO and 85 kg CaO per hectare as pure nutrient. Of the soil reserve and known Nährstoffnachlieferung is withdrawn from the soil as fertilizer. In protected cultivation under glass where CO2 fertilization is possible levels of 800 to 1200 ppm will be sought in the cultural area. The enrichment takes place from sulfur-free exhaust gases of the gas heating or with technical CO2. The culture period is from March six to seven weeks and will be extended in the autumn to the December sowing up to nine weeks.

Regarding the crop rotation is dill or other umbelliferous plants a break of four years should elapse before a renewed dill cultivation. Reason is particularly the Fusarium wilt. Preceding crops with organic fertilization are favorable, especially root crops. Dill from the soil potassium and relatively little phosphorus. Nevertheless, a good phosphorus supply is important because phosphorus deficiency has a strong impact on growth.

Harvest

For the fresh market, especially dill with 15 to 25 cm in length to be harvested. For industrial goods the cut lengths from 30 to 35 cm (vegetable drying industry) or 40 to 60 cm are ( gherkins processing). By delayed cultivation with several successive sowings the harvest takes place continuously from late May to October. The yield of dill herb is between 15 and 30 tons per hectare per year, the. Dill peaks between 10 to 18 tonnes per hectare per year Fresh produce is usually harvested by hand, herb for drying and cryopreservation in beds mostly by machine. Dill seeds are harvested before full maturity, usually in late August / early September. The yield is 0.8 to 1.2 tonnes per hectare per year.

Propagation

Propagation is generative. The harvest of the seeds takes place when the seeds of the cones begin to turn brown. They are then ripened and dried. In the home garden seed single carrier stand, the versamen each other and result in the same place the seed for the next year. Harvested seed is at a moisture content of less than ten percent longer than two to three years germinable. Vegetative reproduction occurs only in breeding use.

Storage

Dill is kept at the best by rapid cooling in a temperature range from -1 to 0 ° C and a relative humidity of 95%. Is dill additionally wrapped in foil, it is good for two to three weeks.

Varieties

When Dill there are quite a few varieties, which go back to four origin groups: normal diploid taxa, mammoth places tetraploid taxa and cultivars from the drug trade. For large-scale cultivation of dill, the varieties " Sari " and " quads " have proved successful.

Use in the kitchen

Garden Dill is a versatile herb used. It is used for salads. In sauces on the basis of salad oil, yogurt, cottage cheese and spiced butter dill is popular and suitable for spreading on bread. Furthermore, it is also used to flavor fish and meat dishes. By distilling the dill oil is also enriched for the liquor industry. Fresh and dried it can also be used for canning and for herbal essences. Leaves like flower heads are an important spice for pickles, especially for salt and dill pickles. Usually the dill are used in fresh, dried, frozen or freeze- dried state. Less often the dill herb is ( the young herb) or the whole above-ground plant uses. The fresh dill herb has the best flavor and is sprinkled on cooked potatoes.

Use as a medicinal plant

As a medicinal drugs are the dried ripe fruits and whole fresh, flowering plant.

Active ingredients are: Essential oil with carvone as the main constituent, limonene and Dillapiol; the typical smell give phellandrene and dill ether; more agents are coumarins and caffeic acid derivatives.

Applications: dill fruits have moderately stimulating digestive, carminative and antispasmodic properties. They are still used mainly in folk medicine as caraway, although with a weaker effect in indigestion with bloating and flatulence as well as slight cramping discomfort in the gastrointestinal area.