Effect of planting date on plant establishment and compatibility of Aloe vera L. in two locations of Shahdad (Kerman Province)

Aloe vera L. is considered as one of the most important medicinal species, having high resistance to water scarcity and soil salinity. To investigate the effects of planting date and location on yield and a few characteristics of Aloe vera, a split plot experiment in a randomized complete blocks design was conducted with three replications in 2009. The main treatment included location at two levels (Tekab, 329 m a.s.l and Chahar Farsakh, 930 m a.s.l) and two planting dates including (October 2009 and February 2009) were considered as sub treatments. Data were analyzed in terms of yield per plant, height, leaf length, leaf width, and gel yield. According to the results, the highest yield, plant survival, gel yield and leaf number were obtained from the second planting date (25 Feb.). Also, a significant and positive correlation was found among the studied traits, as leaf number, leaf diameter, and plant height had the highest correlation with flower yield. According to the obtained results, the best planting location and planting date were Tekab (Shahdad) and 25 February, respectively.