The effect of application of organic and biological fertilizers on yield, yield components and essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel)

Document Type : Research Article

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of different organic and biological fertilizers on seed yield, yield
components and essential oil content of Fennel an experiment was conducted in a completely
randomized block design with three replications. The experimental treatments were 4 biological
fertilizers and all combinations (1- control (without any fertilizer), 2- bacterial strain Pseudomonas putida, 3- bacterial strain Azotobacter chroococcum, 4- compost, 5- vermicompost, 6- Ps. putida + A. chroococcum, 7- Ps. putida + compost, 8- Ps. putida + vermicompost, 9- A. chroococcum + compost, 10- A. chroococcum + vermicompost, 11- compost + vermicompost. There were significant differences between different treatment in terms of plant height, number of main and lateral branch per plant,
number of umbelest per umbel, number of seed per umbel, harvest index, seed yield, biological yield, essential oil yield, seed weight per plant and number of seed per umbelest. The differences between different treatments were not significant in terms of 1000-seed weight and seed weight per umbel. Result also indicated that the highest plant height (86.83 cm) was obtained in A. chroococcum + vermicompost treatment. Compost + vermicompost treatment had the highest umbel per plant (30 umbel), 1000-seed weight (4.3 g), biological yield (5444 kg/ha), essential oil yield (29.98 L/ha) and seed yield (1059 kg/ha) compared with other treatments. The highest and the lowest harvest index were observed in control and vermicompost + Azotobacter treatments, respectively.

20.1001.1.20081472.1388.7.2.29.9

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