Abstract:
Cumin (Cuminum cyminum
L.) is one of the most important
pharmaceutical plants. As a considerable
portion of existing agricultural lands in arid
regions is exposed to aridity and finally to
salinity, we need to study the effects of
salinity on the growth and production of
agronomical products. For this purpose, an
agricultural experiment in the form of split
plots with three replications was conducted
in 2011 at the Islamic Azad University,
Gonabad Branch, Iran, in the longitude of
58°, 50’, latitude of 34°, 54’, and altitude of
940 m from the sea level. At the main plot,
four salinity levels (2,5,8 and 11ds/m) and
at the sub plot, the growth stages of stress
implementation (including stress in
establishment, flowering, and seed filling
stage), were located at random. The results
showed that the salinity rate had significant
impact on fresh weight, dry weight, height ,
percentage of essence, seed and biological
yield. With the increase in salinity from 2 to
11ds/m, a significant decrease in all
vegetative and reproductive characteristics
were observed. The most sensitive growth
stages of plant to salt stress, during
vegetative and reproductive period were the
stage of establishment and flowering,
respectively. There was no interaction
between the growth stage of plant and
salinity rate, except for seed yield and
harvest index.
