Peppermint oil is one of the most widely recognized natural flavors. It is mainly produced commercially by extraction from two main types of cultivars: Black Mitcham (Mentha × piperita L.), a sterile polyploid and the backbone of peppermint oil production in the United States, and Arvensis (Mentha arvensis L.), the main cultivar used for peppermint oil extraction in India. Here, we present the identification of an accession called Velvet that is publicly available at the US National Plant Germplasm System and exhibits potential as an alternative peppermint‐type oil producer. Despite its original classification as a diploid, we found that Velvet exhibits a nuclear DNA content close to that of Black Mitcham and higher than those of diploid and tetraploid mint accessions, suggesting a high ploidy level. A trial for cut date optimization suggested that one cut, between 117 and 124 days after sowing, is the optimal strategy for oil production. Analytic profiles of the oil produced by Velvet across years confirmed that Velvet produces a peppermint‐type oil with high menthol content (67%), and an overall oil profile similar but distinguishable from that produced by Mentha arvensis clones. Multi‐year field trials showed that Velvet exhibits great potential for mint oil production, with up to 38% yield increase compared to the control, Black Mitcham. The identification of an additional peppermint‐type oil producer presents new opportunities for farmers and the mint industry in their search for new superior clones, but also new germplasm to help decipher the genetic basis underlying peppermint oil production.

中文翻译：

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Velvet：用于产油的另一种高产薄荷克隆


薄荷油是最广为人知的天然香料之一。它主要通过从两种主要类型的栽培品种中提取来商业生产：Black Mitcham （Mentha × piperita L.），一种不育多倍体，是美国薄荷油生产的支柱，以及 Arvensis （Mentha arvensis L.），印度用于薄荷油提取的主要品种。在这里，我们介绍了一种名为 Velvet 的种质的鉴定，该种质在美国国家植物种质系统中公开提供，并显示出作为替代薄荷型油生产商的潜力。尽管它最初被归类为二倍体，但我们发现 Velvet 的核 DNA 含量接近 Black Mitcham，高于二倍体和四倍体薄荷种质，表明倍性水平高。一项采摘日期优化试验表明，播种后 117 至 124 天之间的一次采摘是产油的最佳策略。多年来对 Velvet 生产的油的分析分析证实，Velvet 产生的薄荷型油具有高薄荷醇含量 （67%），整体油谱与 Mentha arvensis 克隆产生的油相似但有区别。多年的田间试验表明，Velvet 在薄荷油生产方面表现出巨大的潜力，与对照 Black Mitcham 相比，产量提高了 38%。确定额外的薄荷型油生产商为农民和薄荷行业寻找新的优质克隆提供了新的机会，同时也为破译薄荷油生产背后的遗传基础提供了新的种质。