Quality and Quantity of Dill Essential Oil as Influenced by Foliar Application of Polyamines

Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) is a popular herb of the Apiaceae family, widely used in medicine and food industry. The aim of this study is to measure the effects of polyamines on the percent and the compounds of the dill essential oil. This study was conducted in three replications in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The treatment compounds were made up of polyamines (spermine, spermidine, and putrescine) at 50, 100 and 150 mg/l concentrations, respectively. The foliar application of polyamines was performed in three replications in the beginning of the flowering stage. It was repeated 14 days apart. Our results demonstrated that the maximum values of dill essential oil (3.58%) were obtained by application of 100 mg/l of putrescine. The dill essential oil compounds include: α-phellandrene (4.03%) was obtained by application of 50 mg/l of putrescine treatment, and the maximum values of limonene (41.63%) were obtained by application of 50 mg/l spermidine treatment. but, the highest values of carvone and trans- dihydrocarone (61.96%) and (5.76%) were observed in the control treatment. The dill essential oil compounds are generally affected by the cultivar, plant type, harvest time, geographical factors, and type of fertilizers. It is also vital to mention that among polyamines, spermidine and putrescine (50 mg/l) at the lowest concentration had the highest influence on the value of the main compounds of dill essential oil.