Effects of different nutrition systems (organic and chemical) on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Fennel (Foeniculum valgare Mill.) under water deficit stress

In order to study the effects of different nutrition systems (Organic and Chemical) on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Fennel (Foeniculum valgare Mill.) under water deficit stress, an experiment was conducted as split plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the field station of Tarbiat Modares University in Peykan Shahr during cropping season of 2009. In this study, the main plots were three irrigation regime levels (Soil water content of 40% as the control treatment (C1), 60% (C2) and 80% (C3)) and sub-plots were different nutrition systems (10 ton/ha cattle manure, 10 ton/ha spent mushroom compost, 5 ton/ha cattle manure + 5 tan/ha spent mushroom compost and chemical fertilizer). Although the result showed that water deficit stress caused an increase in essential oil percentage, grain yield and essential oil yield decreased extremely under water deficit stress. The results showed that different nutrition systems significantly affected grain yield, essential oil yield and fenchone (p ≤ 0.01). Mean comparisons showed that using mushroom compost in favorable irrigation condition resulted in maximum essential oil yield (31.8 Kg.ha-1). This result was confirmed as the higher grain yield (1289.8 Kg.ha-1) obtained in the same treatment.