Effect of Biofertilizer on Yield and Quality Characteristics of Fennel in Additive Intercropping with Prennial Alfalfa

In order to study the yield and quality characteristics of medicine forage (additive intercropping of alfalfa and fennel) under the effect biofertilizers, an Experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Shahed University in 2011. The experimental design was split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The main factor included 4 levels of fertilizer application viz. control (no fertilizer application), Biofertilizer (Azospirillum/Azotobacter, biophospherous fertilizer), 3. Integrated fertilizer (bio fertilizers 50% chemical fertilizer), 4. Chemical fertilizer (triple super phosphate based on the soil analysis). The sub plots comprised 4 levels of mixtures viz 1. Sole alfalfa, 2. Sole fennel, 3. Intercropping of alfalfa 50% fennel, 4. Intercropping of alfalfa 100% fennel. Results showed that the effect of fertilizer, intercropping and their interaction on the yield of alfalfa and fennel, yield of essential oil, amount of anethole and methyl cavicol was significant by 1%. The highest dry matter of alfalfa (7377.07 kg/ha-1) from sole alfalfa and integrated fertilizer, dry matter of fennel (9334.33 kg/ha-1) and yield of essential oil of fennel (54.2 Li/ha-1) was obtained from Sole fennel when received integrated fertilizer. According to the results, sole fennel treated with biofertilizers, produced the highest anethole and the lowest methyl cavicol. Calculation and evaluation of Total Relative Yield and Relative Crowded Coefficient showed 100% alfalfa 100% fennel in control and the use of biofertilizers were the best, respectively.