Investigating the Effect of Cultivation Method and Pre-Soaking of Seed on Seed and Essential oil Yield of Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) Under Dry Farming

In order to investigate yield, yield components and essential oil quantity of cumin as affected by cultivation and pre-soaking methods, a split plot experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main-plot of the experiment was the cultivation method in two levels (planting in a leveled and non- leveled method), and duration of seed pre-soaking at five levels (control, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours) was considered as sub-plot. The results showed that in both cultivation methods, the highest and lowest number of emergent plants were observed in the 12 and 48 hours seed pre-soaking treatments, respectively. In non-soaked seeds, the number of emergent plants in the leveled cultivation method was more than that of the non-leveled cultivation method, but, there was an opposite trend for the 6, 12 and 24 hours pre-soaking. In all seed soaking treatments, seed yield was significantly higher in the non-leveled than leveled cultivation method. The highest seed yield, biological yield and essential oil yield were obtained in the cultivation method without leveling, and 12 hours of seed pre-soaking. In the leveled cultivation method, the non-presoaked seeds significantly produced the highest essential oil percentage, but in non-leveled cultivation method, the highest essential oil percentage (2. 60%) was observed in 48 hours of seed pre-soaking, which it had no significant difference with other seed pre-soaking treatments in terms of essential oil percentage. Among the investigated traits, essential oil yield had the strongest correlation with the seed yield.