Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 MSc Student, Department of Agronomy, University of Kurdistan, Iran
2 Department of Agronomy, University of Kurdistan, Iran
3 Agricultural Research Center of West Azerbaijan, Iran
4 Department of Soil Science, Kurdistan University, Iran
Abstract
In order to evaluate the effect of biofertilizers on the yield and quality of Dracocephalum moldavica L. essential oil, a field experiment was conducted at the Western Azarbaijan Agricultural Research Station in 2008. Randomized Complete Block Design was used including 9 treatments and 4 replications. Treatments were nitroxin, biological phosphorus, bio-sulfur, nitroxin + biological phosphorus, biological phosphorus + biosulfur, nitroxin + biosulfur, nitroxin + biological phosphorus + bio-sulfur, chemical origin of nitrogen + phosphorus + potassium and control (no fertilizer treatment). According to the results, the effect of treatments on dry matter yield (leaves), seed and biological yield, percentage and yield of essential oil and thousand seed weight was significant (P<0.01) while it was not significant on harvest index of leaves and harvest index of seed. Means comparison showed that applying chemical fertilizer (NPK) resulted in highest leaves dry matter, seed and biological yield. The highest essential oil content and essential oil yield respectively obtained from nitroxin + biological phosphorus + bio-sulfur and nitroxin biofertilizer. Considering the fact that no significant difference was observed between applying nitroxin and chemical NPK, it can be concluded that applying nitroxin may result in maximum seed and essential oil yield. In all studied traits, application of some biofertilizers was significantly better than control treatment (no fertilizer).
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