Effect of manure and chemical fertilizer on physiological and phytochemical properties of coneflower

Plant secondary materials play an important role in health and human nutrition. According to the importance of coneflower in the production of secondary materials and also the effect of nutrient on the amount of secondary materials, a pot experiment was conducted with a completely randomized design six treatments and three replications in Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in 2015. Treatments were included: chemical fertilizer (150 kg N, 120 kg P2O5 and 250 kg K2O per hectare from urea, triple super phosphate and potassium sulphate source, respectively) (CF), 30 t.ha-1 manure (M), 15 t.ha-1 M percent CF, 15 t.ha-1 M percent CF and 15 t.ha-1 M percent CF and control (without applying chemical fertilizer and compost). Result indicated that all traits such as chlorophyll a and b, yield of anthocyanin and flavonoid in leaf and root, yield of total phenolic in flower and percentage of antioxidant activity in full bloom were affected by different fertilizer treatments. So that the maximum concentration of chlorophyll a and b (11.33 and 2.41 mg.gr-1 FW respectively) were related to the application of chemical fertilizer that with incorporation manure and chemical fertilizer (15 t.ha-1 M 25 percent CF and 15 t.ha-1 M percent CF) were statistically the same level. Meanwhile, the application of 30 t.ha-1 M had the greatest effect on anthocyanin and flavonoid in leaves and total phenolic of flower. Maximum antioxidant activity was obtained with using 15 t.ha-1 M percent CF increased 10 percent and 80 percent compared to the control and CF treatments, respectively.