Seed and Essential Oil Yields of Ducrosia Anethifolia, as Affected by Organic and Chemical Fertilizers

Abstract

ABSTRACT In order to investigate the effect of organic and chemical fertilizers on quantitative and qualitative traits of Ducrosia anethifolia, a randomized complete block design was carried out with three replications. The experiment was performed with seven treatments including control (no fertilizer), manure (bovine), chemical fertilizers including nitrogen(N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), vermicompost fertilizer, thiobacillus bacterium, mycorrhiza fungi, and a combination of mycorrhizal fungi and thiobacillus bacterium (mycorrhiza+thiobacillus). Results showed that fertilizer treatments increased the yield and yield components of the plant compared to the control. Inoculation with thiobacillus, mycorrhiza, and thiobacillus+mycorrhiza resulted in higher levels of seed yield, essential oil yield and percentage, chlorophyll a, b and total and also carotenoids content compared to plants treated with chemical fertilizers. Generally, thiobacillus+mycorrhiza treatment led to more seed yield (8430 kg/ha) and essential oil yield (176.36 kg/ha) than other treatments, showing 62% and 52% increase in seed yield and 80% and 321% increase in essential oil yield in comparison with control and chemical fertilizers, respectively. Based on the results of this research, application of biological fertilizers can control excessive use of chemical fertilizers in sustainable agriculture.