Effect of different nitrogen sources on vegetative traits, grain yield and essential oil yield of coriander (Coriandrum Sativum)

Abstract

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is one of the medicinal plants that its essential oil yield has abundance medicinal and food value. One of the main concepts in the production of medicinal plants is to increase of yield by biofertilizers. In order to evaluate the separate and combined effect of nitrogen and biofertilizer Nitroxin (mixture of bacteria Azotobacter and Azospirillum) fertilizer on vegetative traits, grain yield and essential oil yield of coriander, an experiment was conducted as a factorial in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in the field research of Islamic Azad University, Jiroft, Iran. The experiment factors were consisted of three levels of nitrogen (0, 75 and 150 kg·ha-1) and three levels of Nitroxin biofertilizer (0, 2 and 4 L·ha-1). The results showed that application of 150 kg·ha-1 N significantly increased height and stem diameter, number of lateral branches and shoot dry weight, compared with control and application of 75 kg·ha-1 N. Nitroxin biofertilizer significantly improved vegetative traits of coriander when compared with control, so that application of 4 L·ha-1 of Nitroxin caused increase the mean of traits compared to control. In the most evaluated growth traits, the highest means were obtained with combining of 150 kg·ha-1 N with 4 L·ha-1 of Nitroxin. Application of 150 kg·ha-1 N increased the number of umbels per plant, 1000 seeds weigh, seed yield and essential oil yield, 29.9, 33.0, 72.9, 40.7, 147.4 and 177.1 percent, compared with the control, respectively. In the presence of Nitroxin, yield and yield component and essential oil yield of coriander increased significantly. Maximum average of these traits obtained when 4 L·ha-1 of Nitroxin was applied. Integrated of nitrogen and Nitroxin increased yield and yield component and essential oil yield significantly, when compare with application separately of them. So that the maximum mean of these traits obtained with combined application of 150 kg·ha-1 nitrogen and 4 L·ha-1 of Nitroxin. The results of this research was showed that application Nitroxin biofertilizer have an important role in increase of quantity and quality yield of coriander medicinal plant and can be used as an alternative of nitrogen fertilizer in sustainable agriculture.