Effects of Water Deficit and Manure on Yield and Morphological Characters Some of Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica) in Jiroft Area

Subject Areas : Journal of Crop Ecophysiology

P. Rahbarian ¹ , Gh. Afsharmanesh ²

1 - Msc of Medicinal Plants, Jiroft Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jiroft, Iran
2 - Assistant Prof., Jiroft Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Jiroft, Iran

Received: 2010-03-11 Accepted : 2011-05-02 Published : 2011-05-22

Keywords: Water stress, manure, morphological characters, Dracocephalum, Dragonhead,

Abstract :

In this research effect of drought (water deficit) stress and manure on yield and some of the morphological characters of dragonhead was studied. In this study a strip plot pot experiment based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) was conducted in greenhouse with 15 treatments and 3 replication, in the Islamic Azad University Jiroft Branch in Iran during 2009. Three levels of water stress at 75% Fc (least stress), 50% Fc (moderate stress) and 25% Fc (severe stress) were considered as vertical factor and five manure levels (0 – 10 – 20 – 30 – 40 t/ha) were considered as horizontal factor. Total fresh and dry herb yield, plant height, number of stem, internode length, dry leaf and dry stem weights were measured. The results showed that the effect of water deficit stress on all morphological characters, except inter node length and stem number, were significant (= %5). The effect of manure on all morphological characters, except inter node length, were significant (= %5, = %1). Fresh and dry weights of herb, number of stem, plant height, dry leaf and stem weights decreased by increasing water stress. Water stress, significantly reduced on herb yield from 4868.27 kg/ha to 3348.00. Maximum dry herb yield with 4956kg/ha was due to 75% Fc (least stress) with manure treatment of 40 t/ha. Results of this study showed that by increasing manure level dry herb yield was increased. A significant positively correlation between dry herb yield and fresh herb (r = 0.969), number of stem (r = 0.849), plant height (r = 0.684), dry leaf (r = 0.969), dry stem (r = 0.974) were observed.