Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Mehdi Taheri Asghari ¹
• Abolfazl Baghbani-Arani ¹
• Seyed Reza Miralizadeh Fard ²

¹ Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Agriculture and Environment, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and objectives: Garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) is recognized as one of the most important essential oil-producing and medicinal plants worldwide, and the use of biological fertilizers in its cultivation is considered vital for achieving sustainable agriculture and producing safe medicinal products. Among the key chemical constituents in thyme are phenolic acids, terpenoids, and flavonoids, which are widely used in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular disorders. This experiment aimed to examine the effect of the synchronic application of mycorrhizae, important ecological symbionts that receive carbon and lipids from the host plant and, in return, enhance water uptake and the absorption of rare mineral nutrients, and foliar spraying of wood vinegar on selected quantitative and qualitative traits and nutrient elements of garden thyme shoots.
Methodology: To investigate the effect of the combined application of mycorrhiza and wood vinegar foliar spraying on the quantitative and qualitative properties and nutrient content of thyme shoots, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farms of Takestan University from 2021 to 2023. The experimental factors included mycorrhiza treatments (control, seed and soil inoculation with G. mosseae, G. etunicatum, and G. intraradices) and wood vinegar treatments (control and foliar spraying at 5, 10, and 15 mg/L). Dry matter yield (determined using a scale with 0.01 g precision), essential oil percentage, chlorophyll index, carotenoid content, flavonoid percentage, phenolic compounds, anthocyanin content, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations in the shoots were measured. All data were analyzed using SAS software (version 9.1.3), and mean comparisons were performed using the least significant difference (LSD) test at the 5% probability level.
Results: The findings indicated that the synchronic use of mycorrhizal fungi and wood vinegar significantly enhanced dry matter yield, essential oil percentage, carotenoid content, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations, anthocyanin levels, phenolic compounds, flavonoid percentage, and chlorophyll index of garden thyme relative to the control. Moreover, the application of mycorrhiza, particularly the species G. mosseae, resulted in notable improvements in most evaluated traits. In addition, the combined application of 10% wood vinegar and G. mosseae produced the highest quantitative and qualitative attributes of garden thyme. The inoculation treatment with G. mosseae, combined with 10% wood vinegar, produced the greatest concentrations of phosphorus and potassium in the shoots, representing increases of 133% and 231%, respectively, compared to the control. Furthermore, this combined treatment yielded the highest anthocyanin, phenolic compound content, and flavonoid percentage, with increases of 140%, 97%, and 107%, respectively, over the control.
Conclusion: Overall, it can be concluded that, in alignment with the principles of sustainable agriculture, the synchronic use of mycorrhizal fungi, especially G. mosseae, together with foliar application of 10 mg/L wood vinegar, constitutes an effective approach for achieving maximum quantitative and qualitative yield in garden thyme. This strategy not only enhances essential agronomic and biochemical traits but also reduces reliance on chemical fertilizers, thereby contributing to the production of healthier and more environmentally sustainable plant products.

Keywords

• Biofertilizers
• essential oil
• sustainable agriculture
• dry matter

Main Subjects

• Improvement and breeding