Effect of Irrigation Intervals on Some Morphological Traits, Seed Properties and Essence Yield of Savory (Satureja spicigera L.) Under Field Conditions

Abstract

Agricultural management is one of the main factors to ameliorate environment adverse effects. Climate change has adverse effects on water availability in drought and semi-drought regions that constrain crop survival. In order to investigate the effect of irrigation intervals on morphological characteristics and yield components of savory plant (Satureja spicigera L.), an experiment was carried out based on randomized complete block design in three levels irrigation interval treatments (7 days (I7), 14 days (I14) and 21 days (I21)) with three replications in Khorasan Razavi Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center during of 2019. Results showed that with increase in irrigation intervals, all morphological characteristics and yield components were decreased. However there was no significant differences in seed and essence yield, plant canopy area, number of main stems, number of branches and stem diameter due to I7 and I14 treatments. In drought stress (I21), seed width was more affected than seed length. The lowest percentage of survival was observed in I21 treatment which was reduced by 26% and 35% respectively, compared to treatments I14 and I7. By increasing the irrigation interval to 21 days, the highest reduction in savory characteristics occurred, so that the highest and lowest biomass and seed yield were recorded from I7 and I21 treatments, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between biomass and plant height (r = 0.998*), total plant leaf area (r = 0.770*), number of main stems (r = 0.796*) and number of branches (r = 0.998*). It seems that savory production can be improved in acceptable amount with 14-day irrigation interval.