Anotace:
Milk thistle [Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.] is a medicinal plant from the Asteraceae family that is grown for its silymarin content. In the production of the silymarin complex, oil is obtained as a secondary product that must be removed from the seeds before extraction of silymarin. The oil contains a favorable ratio of fatty acids and essential phospholipids and has a high vitamin E concent. The objective of this study was to determine the quality of the harvest and the oil content in the dry matter of milkthistle fruit in three varieties (Silyb, Silma, Mirel) during growing seasons 2019 and 2020. The field experiment was conducted in a warm climatic region of western Slovakia (at the experimental site, Dolná Malanta locality). The results showed that the average yield of milk thistle fruit was 452.72 ±61.71 kg ha-1. The oiliness results wereat the level of 28.62 ±1.12%. The maximum and minimum oil content values in the dry matter were determined in the variety Silma 2019. The differences between the individual varieties were not statistically significant. The factor of the growing season had a statistically significant effect on the oil content. Based on two-year fertility and oil content results, it is recommended to continue to monitor the quantitative and qualitative potentials of the milk thistle in the following growing season.