Effect of Biofertilizers on Physiological, and Morphological Characteristics and on Essential Oil Content in Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica)

To study the effects of biofertilizers on physiological and morphological characteristics, as well on essential oil content in Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica), an experiment was conducted at Tarbiat Modares University in 2009. The studied factors were: Vermicompost (0, 15, 30% V/pot), Azotobacter (inoculated and non-inoculated), and phosphatic biofertilizer (inoculated and non-inoculated). The experiment design was a factorial based on randomized complete block design of twelve treatments and four replications. Results revealed that Vermicompost fertilizer significantly affected seed emergence speed (11.94 days), flowering (88.81 days), plant height (50.05 cm), fresh and dry yield (44.56 and 12.049 gr), photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll content, essential oil content (0.74%) as well as essential oil yield (0.34 mlit/pot). Maximum seed weight per plant (4.47 gr) was obtained for BV15. Biophsphate also showed significant effects on seed emergence and chlorophyll content. Interactions of the two factors of Biophosphate inoculation and Vermicompost fertilizer were also significantly affected the plant's dry weight, seed weight per plant, photosynthesis rate as well as the chlorophyll content.