Effect of Zeolite Compost Application in Loamy Sand Field on Grain yield and Other Traits of Sunflower

In order to study the effect of Iranian zeolite application namely clinoptilolite in animal manure, on yield and yield component of sunflower under different irrigationregimes, an experiment was conducted during 2005- 2006 year, at Research Field of Tarbiat Modares University, Faculty of Agriculture, located at 16 KM Tehran-Karaj Highway, as spilt plot arrangement in randomize complete block design with four replications. Irrigation regimes including: irrigation after consuming 35% of available soil moisture (W1), irrigation after consuming 70% of available soil moisture (W1) that were randomized to the main plot units and subplots were different fertilizer treatments including: providing 100% N of plant requirement from urea chemical fertilizer (F1), providing 60% and 40% N plant requirement from urea chemical fertilizer and animal manure respectively (F2), providing 60% and 40% plant requirement N from urea chemical fertilizer and animal manure compost respectively accompany with zeolite in amount of 5% of animal manure weight (F3), providing 60% and 40% plant requirement N from urea chemical fertilizer and animal manure compost respectively accompany with zeolite in amount of 5% of animal manure weight (F4), providing 60% and 40% plant requirement N from urea chemical fertilizer and animal manure compost respectively accompany with zeolite in amount of 5% of animal manure weight (F5). Result showed that different irrigation regimes and fertilizer levels and their interactions significantly affected on grain yield, oil percent and yield, protein percent, 1000 seed weight, head diameter, grain number in head, final dry matter and leaf chlorophyll content at flowering stage. The highest grain yield was obtained from F4 and F5 treatments in W1 irrigation regime with of 2641.6 and 2602.4 kg/ha respectively. Therefore the best treatments in this experiment were W1F4 and W1F5.