Study of agronomical characteristics, flower yield and root inulin percentage of chicory (Chicorium intybus L.) under soil fertilizers and drought stress

Chicory is belongs to the Asteraceae family the leaves colors are blue or pink and valuable medicinal specie that is rich of felavonoeds and inulin and root is only source of inulin production. Drought stress is as an important limitation for yield in the world. Thus, the present study with the aim of evaluating the agronomical traits and root inulin percentage of chicory under different bio-fertilizer treatments and drought stress was carried out.
The study pereset a split plot experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Institute (Chah nimeh), University of Zabol, Iran in 2014-2015. The main plots were there irrigation levels (irrigation after 50 (control), 70 and 90% of field capacity) and sub plots were four fertilizer rates (without fertilizer (control), inoculation of nitroxin, effective microorganism fertilizer (EM) and foliar application of nano potassium chelate). Such traits as plant height, number of branch per plant, number of flower per plant, flower yield, root and shoot fresh weight, leaf N percentage and inulin percentage, were evaluated. To apply drought stress has been used from TDR set. After data collection statistical analysis was performed using SAS program and Means were separated according to the least significant difference (DMRT) at 0.05 level of probability.
The results showed that the interaction of drought stress and bio-fertilizers had a significant effect on all traits except plant height. The results showed with increasing in stress rate, plant height, number of branch per plant, number of flower per plant, flower yield, root fresh and dry weight, inulin percentage and leaf N percentage, decreased. The bio-fertilizers application improved all traits. The maximum plant height, number of branch per plant, number of flower per plant, flower yield, root fresh and dry weight and inulin percentage were obtained from irrigation after 90% field capacity along with EM application. With increasing in drought rates from control to 50% FC, leaf nitrogen percentage decreased so that the highest leaf nitrogen was obtained from irrigation after 90% FC along with nitroxin application and the lowest was belonged to severe drought stress without fertilizer.
In this experiment, optimum treatment for highest of fresh and dry weight and inulin perceantage was microorganism fertilizer (EM) application in 90% FC condition. In general, the results revealed that to achieve high yield of chicory, irrigation after 90% FC along with EM could be used.