The effect of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers on physiological and root characteristics of Proveskia abrotanoides (Karel.)

The first step in cultivating wild medicinal plants is to observe how they respond to agronomical treatments in controlled environments. In 2017, this experiment was carried out at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad's Research Institute of Plant Sciences to investigate the morphological and physiological changes of the medicinal plant Barazamble (Proveskia abrotanoides). With three replications, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design in 6, 12, 18, and 24 g/kg of nitrogen (N1 to N4) and 4, 6, 8, and 10 g/kg of phosphorus (P1 to P4) was used. P4 (17.77 µmol.m-2s-1, 7.44 and 1.70 mmol.m-2s-1, respectively) and N4 (16.88 µmol.m-2s-1, 8.62 and 1.74 mmol.m-2s-1, respectively) had the highest photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance. In terms of photosynthesis and transpiration rate, there was no significant difference between N3 and N4. The highest chlorophyll a content (0.464 mg. g-1fw) was found in the N3P3 treatment, while the highest chlorophyll b content (0.464 mg. g-1fw) was found in the N3 treatment. The P4 and N3 treatments had the highest root dry weight, while the N3 and P3 treatments had the highest shoot dry weight, biomass accumulation, root/shoot ratio, total biomass, and root volume. More research is needed before recommending fertilizers, but the third level of nitrogen (N3) and phosphorus (P3) application had the greatest effect on the measured traits of Proveskia abrotanoides.