Effect of different soil fertilizing methods on soil properties, nutrient uptake and quanitative and qualitative yield of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller.)

In order to study the effects of chemical and biological fertilizers on soil physical properties، nutrient uptake، nutrient concentration in soil and plant and seed yield and essential oil of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller.)، a field experiment was conducted in Agricultural Faculty of Shahid Chamran University in 2011. Trial study was carried out as two-ways factorial in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Chemical fertilizer at three levels (C1=0-0-0 kg/ha NPK، C2=60-60-48 kg/ha NPK and C3=120-120-96 kg/ha NPK) was the first factor، and different biological fertilizers at six levels (B1=control، B2=Biosuperphosphate+Nitroxin، B3=Nitroxin، B4=Biosuperphosphate، B5=Biosulphur and B6=Sugar cane waste compost) were the second factor. Results showed that chemical fertilizer had significant effect on all traits except soil bulk density، soil porosity and essential oil yield. The interaction of chemical fertilizer and biological fertilizer was significant for seed phosphorus، soil bulk density and soil porosity percentage. The highest grain yield (237. 66 kg/ha) and essential oil yield (6. 46 kg/ha) was found at sugar cane waste compost in combination with 120-120-96 kg/ha NPK and the lowest grain yield (103. 15 kg/ha) and essential oil yield (2. 63 kg/ha) was obtained at bio sulfur without chemical fertilizer application، respectively. Also، sugar cane waste compost in combination with 120-120-96 kg/ha NPK had the highest grain nitrogen (2. 61%) and phosphorus (0. 33%)، respectively. The lowest was obtained at control treatment. Totally، the results suggested that the sugar cane waste in combination with 60-60-48 kg/ha NPK was the best treatment for fennel cultivation.