Effects of PRD with saline and fresh water on some characteristics of ajwain in an arid region

Freshwater crisis and soil salinity are the most important factors that limiting agriculture in arid areas. In these conditions, cultivation of medicinal plants with considering environmental aspects can be an intelligence strategy for these areas. For this purpose, a field experiment with four treatments and three replications was conducted in randomized complete blocks design in Zahak city during 2016-2017. The treatments were consisted of full irrigation with fresh water (F.FI), partial root zone drying with fresh water (F.PRD), partial root zone drying with saline water (S.PRD) and partial root zone drying with saline and fresh water (SF.PRD). The highest values of plant height (46.1 cm), number of umbel per plant (42), number of branches per plant (10), 1000-seed weight (0.86 gr) and seed yield (293 kg ha-1) were observed in F.FI. There were non-significant differences between F.PRD, FI and SF.PRD in most traits. Results illustrated that application of PRD with alternate fresh and saline water was the best option for decreasing fresh water usage in arid climate of Sistan region.