IMPACT OF SOME GROWTH STIMULANTS IN COOPERATION WITH ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ON GROWTH, PRODUCTIVITY AND CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF DUTCH FENNEL PLANT

Document Type : Original Research Article

Author

Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt

Abstract

Fennel is an important medicinal, and aromatic plant occupied the first in the list of Egyptian exports of herbs and spices. Dutch fennel is described by a large percentage of anethole and a lower percentage of estragole than the Egyptian fennel, therefore, it is used as an antidote to some viral diseases. The present research aims to investigate the influence of various growth stimulants (amino acids, brassinolide, humic acid, salicylic acid, seaweeds extract and tap water as control) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as well as their combinations on vegetative growth, productivity and some chemical constituents of Dutch fennel plant (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. spp. vulgare). This study was conducted at the Experimental Farm and in the Laboratory at the Hort. Dept., Fac. Agric. at Moshtohor, Benha Univ., Egypt, during 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons. The greatest significant values of all studied parameters were gained by the combined treatment of seaweed extract at 2 ml/l with superior for the inoculum mycorrhizal fungi in 1st and 2nd seasons. The largest seeds oil percentage (2.22 and 2.24) was recorded by the combined treatment between seaweed extract combined with inoculum arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The chemical constituents of Dutch fennel essential oil about ten components, the master components of essential oil constituents trans-anethole, estragole, and myrcene. In general, it could be recommended that the combinations of seaweed extract at 2 ml/l and inoculum arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could be achieved the greatest growth, productivity and chemical constituents of Dutch fennel.

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