Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Associate Professor, Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Department of Crop Ecology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran.
2 MSc of Crop ecology, Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Department of Agricultural Research, Khosroshahr, Iran.
4 PhD Student in Production and Post-Harvest Physiology of Medicinal Plants, Department of Horticultural Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Studies have shown that the use of some compounds whose importance is often neglected by researchers and farmers can have a significant effect on the growth and yield of plants and increase the amount of essential oil production in medicinal plants. Therefore, this research was conducted with the aim of investigating the effects of Selenium and Silicon foliar application and zeolite soil application on the yield and components of seed yield and the percentage and yield essential oil of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller.).
Materials and methods: This experiment was carried out in the form of a split split plot (twice chopped) based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Khosrowshahr Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center in the 2019 crop year. The first factor includes foliar spraying of calcium (zero and 4 gr/L) and the second factor includes foliar spraying of selenium (zero and 4 gr/L) in the main and secondary plots, respectively, and the third factor includes the application of zeolite (zero, 5 and 10 tons/ha) were placed in sub-sub-plots. In the full ripening stage, 50 plants were harvested from one square meter of each plot and the dry matter of the whole plant, number of seeds per umbels, number of seeds per plant, 1000-seed weight, seed yield, percentage and essential oil yield were measured.
Results and Discussion: The results of variance analysis of the data showed that the effect of selenium on the number of umbels per plant, the number of seeds per umbel and plant was significant. The number of seeds in umbels and bush were affected by silicon and zeolite, respectively. The main effects of these treatments on grain yield, total dry matter and essential oil yield were significant. The seed yield increased with the application of these treatments, which resulted in an increase in the yield of fennel essential oil per unit area. Based on the results of the average data comparison, the use of all three compounds of zeolite, selenium and silicon caused a significant increase in the yield of fennel essential oil and increased this attribute by 24, 23.1, and 22.5 percent, respectively. gave silicon and selenium increased the yield of essential oil by increasing the seed yield. In addition, zeolite had a positive effect on seed yield through the number of seeds, while silicon and selenium increased both characteristics of yield components, including 1000-seed weight and number of seeds.
Conclusion: In this study, the increase of essential oil yield under the influence of zeolite application was related to the increase of essential oil percentage, while silicon and selenium increased the yield of fennel essential oil. The results of this study showed that the use of all three compounds of zeolite, selenium and silicon caused an acceptable increase in the essential oil product and in most cases, the effects of all three compounds had an effect on the studied traits separately, so it can be said that these three compounds were effective on the studied plant with different mechanisms.
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