Effect of the Application of Chemical, Organic, and Biological Fertilizers on Yield and Biochemical Traits of Iranian Shallot (Allium hirtifulium)

Iranian shallot, scientifically known as Allium hirtifolium, is an important medicinal, edible, and industrial plant that grows in different regions of Iran, especially in the Central Zagros. Since this plant is harvested from its natural environment for consumption, it is necessary to cultivate and study various factors that affect its quantitative and qualitative yield, such as the use of sustainable agriculture. Additionally, genetic and environmental factors, as well as the use of fertilizers and nutrients, affect the growth, development, and yield of medicinal and edible plants, including Iranian shallots. Therefore, creating the best substrate for cultivation, protection, and harvesting is necessary due to the use of these plants in human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chemical and organic fertilizer in inoculation with biofertilizer in two years on the yield and biochemical traits of Iranian shallot.

In this study (in the research farm of Islamic Azad University of Shahrekord in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province) investigated the effect of chemical fertilizer application (including: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus 90, 70 and 60 kg/ha, respectively), chemical fertilizer inoculation with fertilizer Vermicompost (10 tons per hectare), Vermicompost inoculation with bio-fertilizer, manure (including sheep manure 10 tons per hectare), manure inoculation with bio-fertilizer (Including Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi including: Glomus fasiculatum, Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae and growth-promoting bacteria including: Azospirillum spp, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis) on Iranian shallot biochemical and yields traits such as: size and weight of Bulb, Amount of phenol, Flavonoid Antioxidants, Starch, Glucose, Total protein, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium of this plant, as an randomized complete blocks design with three replications in two consecutive years (2016-2017 and 2017-2018) was conducted and The simple(year and fertilizer) and combined analysis(year* fertilizer) of variance were done. Data analysis was performed using SAS9.1 software, and LSD test at 5% probability level was used to compare the mean of treatments.

The results of the variance analysis showed that the effect of year on all traits was significant, including size and weight of bulb, phenol, flavonoids, antioxidants, starch, glucose, total protein, nitrogen, and phosphorus, at the level of 1%. The effect of fertilizer on all traits (except starch and glucose) and their interactions (year x fertilizer) on all measured traits except antioxidant activity percent, nitrogen, starch, and glucose were also significant.In the second year, antioxidant activity percent, nitrogen, starch, and glucose had the highest amounts at 42.71%, 2.30%, 0.40, and 0.38, respectively, while in the first year, they had the lowest amounts at 29.05, 1.44, 0.23, and 0.23 mg/g fw, respectively.According to the results, the highest bulb size (8.04 cm), potassium (1.88% and 1.89%), bulb weight (0.095 and 0.096 kg), and total protein (15.05 and 15.72 mg/g fw) were obtained in the vermicompost treatment in inoculation with bio-fertilizer in the second year and chemical fertilizer in inoculation with bio-fertilizer in the second year. Additionally, the highest amount of phenol (1.15 and 1.19 mg/g fw), respectively, in the treatment of vermicompost in inoculation with bio-fertilizer in the second year and chemical fertilizer in inoculation with biofertilizer in the second year, flavonoids (107.1 mg/g fw), and phosphorus (1.623%) in vermicompost in inoculation with bio-fertilizer in the second year were obtained.Moreover, the results of comparing the means showed that the highest percentages of antioxidant activity percent (36.24) and nitrogen content (2.29%) were in vermicompost in inoculation with bio-fertilizer and chemical fertilizer in inoculation with bio-fertilizer in the second year, respectively. The lowest bulb size (3.16 cm), bulb weight (0.037 kg), phenol content (0.168 mg/g fw), flavonoids (48.99 mg/g fw), total protein (6.81 mg/g fw), phosphorus (0.753%), and potassium (0.811%) were observed in control.

According to the results of this study, organic fertilizers can be used in inoculation with bio-fertilizer to increase the production of Iranian shallot as organic fertilizer and not impose a negative effect on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of this plant instead of, excessive use of chemical fertilizers.