ENHANCING GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF DILL (Anethum graveolens, L.) PLANT BY USING SALICYLIC ACID AND BIO-FERTILIZATION APPLICATIONS

Author

Dept. Hort. (Ornamental, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants), Fac. Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out at the Experimental Farm, Fac. Agric., Zagazig Univ., Sharkia Governorate, Egypt during the two consecutive seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. Aiming to study the influence of different salicylic acid rates (0, 50, 100 and 150 ppm), biofertilization types (without inoculation, nitrobein or/and phosphorein at 1 kg/feddan of each type) and their interaction treatments on vegetative growth, yield characters and volatile oil as well as total chlorophyll content and total carbohydrates percentage of dill plant. In the two consecutive seasons, dill plants treated with salicylic acid at 100 or 150 ppm rates showed a significant increase in vegetative growth (plant height, number of branches per plant and total herb dry weight) compared to the other rates under study. The highest rate of salicylic acid as foliar spray recorded the highest value in each yield character (umbel number per plant as well as fruit weight per plant and per feddan) as well as volatile oil production (volatile oil percentage and yield per plant) compared to the other ones under study. In most cases, adding bio-fertilization (nitrobein + phosphorein) produced the highest values of each studied parameter compared to the other types under study. Generally, application of 150 ppm salicylic acid combined with 1 kg/feddan nitrobein + phophorein recorded an increase in vegetative growth, yield characters, volatile oil production and total chlorophyll content compared to either of salicylic acid or/and biological fertilizers rates under study in both seasons.

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