Effect of Some Macro Elements and Bio Fertilization on The Growth, Yield and Chemical Composition of Coriander Plant (Coriandrum sativum L.)

INTRODUCTION

Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander)Fam.Apiaceae is an important fresh culinary herb in the United States, widely used in Mexican, African and Asian cuisines (Cantwell and Reid, 1993). It is used as a spice in a wide variety of foods. The pungent leaves are called ''cilantro'' a basic ingredient in Latin American and Asian cooking. The leaves (cilantro) have a bold taste, combining a strong sage flavor with sharp-citrus noted. The roots are similar with an added nutty flavor and are used fresh only. The seeds of coriander have a taste of citrus and are used in medicinal house hold cosmetics and fragrance (Rashed, 2002).

Fertilization is one of the most important factors limiting the productivity of plants. The intensive use of expensive mineral fertilizers results in environmental pollution problems. Further, chemical fertilizers at extremely high rates to a long period decreased the potential activity of microflora and the stability of soil organic matter (Hussien, 1995).Also, bio-fertilization is an important factor being used to produce products without some mineral fertilizer that cause environmental pollution problems. Hence, the attention has been focused on the recreates of biofertilizers to safe alternative specific chemical fertilizers.  Biofertilizers play a vital role for increasing the number of microorganisms and accelerate certain microbial process in the rhizosphere of inoculated soil of plants (Kandeel et al., 2001;Rashed, 2002; Mohamed andAbdu, 2004). This research, however, is an attempt to find out the best fertilization treatments (mineral NPK and biofertilizer on the vegetative growth, yield and chemical composition of corianderplants (Coriandrum sativum L.).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two filed experiments were carried out at the Experimental Farm of the Nubaria station, El-beharia, Egypt during both seasons of2013/2014 and 2014/2015, to study the effect of NPK, biofertilizer and their  interaction on the growth,yield, chemical composition of coriander plants(Coriandrum sativum L.). The experimental design followed in this work was a split plot design with three replicates.where as the chemical fertilizers were arranged as maim plots and biofertilizers were arranged as sub plots. The replicate contain 20 treatments. The coriander seeds were sown on November 11^th and 12^thduring both growing seasons. Each sub plot in both experimental seasons was 3.5 meters long and 3 meter wide (10.5 m² i.e. 1/400 feddan) contained 10 rows 25 cm apart between plants. The applied chemical fertilizer were ammonium sulphate (20.5% N), calcium superphosphate (15.5%P₂O₅) and potassium sulphate (48% K₂O) at the rates of (100, 100 and 50 kg/fed), respectively which are the  recommended dose. The used biofertilization of bacteria was phosphorein (Bacillus megatherium phosphorus dissoliving bacteria P. D.B.), potassiomage biofertilizer contains of Bacillus mucilaginousas a potassium dissolving bacteria (KDB) or potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB) and cerealine (Azosprillum lipoferum and Azotobacter chroococcum) which supplied by Natioal Research Center. The inoculation with phosphorein, potassiomage and cerealine were performed by coating coriander seed with each product individually using a sticking substance (Arbic gum at 5%) just before sowing. The recommended dose of NPK was divided into two equal parts, the first one was applied one month after sowing and the second one was applied before the first irrigation. The tested treatments were conducted as follows:

A)    NPK fertilizer (Main plot)

• Control ( without fertilization )
• 50% NPK
• 75% NPK
• 100% NPK

B)   Biofertilization (sub plot)

• Uninoculation (control)
• Phosphorein
• Cerealine
• Potassiomage
• Mixture (phosphorein + cerealine + potassiomage)

The physical and chemical characteristics of the experimental soil are given in Table (1) .The soil was analyzed according to the methods described by Page et al. (1982). At harvest dates on April 8^th and 10^thduring the two seasons,  guarded plants were randomly taken from each plot and the following characteristics were recorded:

1.Plant height (cm)

2.Number of branches

3.Fresh and dry weight (g)/plant

4.Number of umbles/plant

5.100-seed weight (g)

6.Seed yield (g)/plant

7.Seed yield (ton/fed)

1. Total chlorophyll (mg/g fresh weight)was determined in fresh leaves, samples   of the fifth leaf from top at harvesting using the methods by Moran (1982).

9.The N, P and K contents were determined in the        leaves which were driedat 70°C for 48hr., and ground leaves (0.5 g) were digested with sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide H₂SO₄. H₂O₂ according to the method of Lowther (1980) and the following determination were carried out in the digested solution to determine the following:

• Nitrogen content (N%)

     Nitrogen was determined in the digested plant material colorimetrically by Nessler`smethod(Chapman and Pratt, 1978).

• Phosphorus content (P %)

     Phosphorus was determined by the Vanadomolyate yellow methodas given by Jackson (1973) and the intensity of color developed was read by spectrophotometer at 405nm.

• Potassium content (K %)

     Potassium was determined according to the method described by Jackson (1973) using Beckman Flame photometer.

• Essential oil percentage was determined in the air-dried seeds according to British Pharmacopocia (1963) by water distillation 40 g of herb for 1.5-2 hour, in order to extract the essential oil.

• The percentage of major compounds (linolool, α- 2-deenol, α- pinene,camphor and geraniol) were estimated by measuring the peak area of the different compounds of the chromatogram according to Heftman (1967) and Gunther and Joseph (1978).

The obtained data were analyzed statistically for ANOVA and L.S.D. values were calculated to least differences between the studied treatments according to Gomez and Gomez (1984).

Table (1).  Physical and chemical analysis of the used soil before planting (average of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015seasons.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A) Growth parameters and yield

Data in Tables (2 and 3) revealed that the fertilization treatment of 100 % NPK gave, significantly, the highest plant height, number of braches/plant, fresh and dry weight (g)/plant, number of umbles, 100-seed weight, seed yield (g)/plant and seed yield (ton)/fed, while, the least growth parameters and yield was obtained from the control treatment during both seasons. It could be concluded that, the role of available mineral nutrition as essential elements in building coriander umbles due to the positive effect of NPK in increasing the vegetative growth photosynthetic, as well as, the increasing seed yield (ton)/fed. These results coincided with those obtained by El-Mahrouk (2000) on Swietteina mahogany seedling, reported that 120+ 240 + 120 kg NPK/fed and 24 l/day; gave the highest significant plant growth, also, Reshad (2002)recorded similar trendon coriander, too.

The obtained results given in Tables (2 and 3)decleared that biofertilizers treatments exhibited a significant effect on all estimated traits during both seasons. Inoculation of mixture biofertilizer (phosphorein + cerealine + potassiomage) significantly increased growth parameters and yield. This finding could explain this positive effect of this mixture on growth characters and some yield in response to the phosphate potassium solubilizing bacteria and N-fixing bacteria (cerealine) where this mixture may increase the synthesis of endogenous phytohormones i.e. indol acetic acid (IAA), gibberelline (GAS) and cytokinene(CKs) which play an important role in formation of a big active shoot and root systems which allow more nutrition uptake which reflect positively on both systems. The previous results agree, more or less, with the findings of Gad (2001) on Aneithum graveolens, Rashed (2002) on coriander, Abdel Latif (2002) on Cariumcarvi and Kandee let al. (2001) and Mohamed and Abdu (2004) on Foeniculumvulgare.

Tables(4 and 5) declared that the interaction between NPK fertilizer and biofertilization was significant on all growth parameters and yield. The superiority effect of applying 100% NPK plus interaction mixture of bio-fertilizerswas noticeable to plant height, number of braches/plant, fresh and dry weight,s (g)/plant, number of umbles, 100-seed weight, seed yield (g)/plant and seed yield (ton)/fed.

Table (2).Plant height, number of branches, fresh and dry weight,sas affected by some macroelement,sand bio-fertilization during 2013 /2014 and2014 / 2015 seasons.

Means of each factor designated by the same letter not significantly different at 5% using least Significant difference (L.S.D.) 

           *: Significant at 0.05 and 0.01 level of probability.

Table (3).Number of umbles, 100-seed weight, seed yield  plant and seed yield fed as affected by some macroelement,s and bio-fertilization during 2013 /2014 and 2014 / 2015 seasons.

Means of each factor designated by the same letter not significantly different at 5% using least Significant difference (L.S.D.) 

      *: Significant at 0.05 and 0.01 level of probability.

Table (4). Interaction between NPK fertilizer and biofertilization on fresh and dry weights/plant during 2013 /2014 and 2014 /2015 seasons.

Table  (5). Interaction between NPK fertilizer and biofertilization on 100-seed weight and seed yield  during 2013/2014 and2014 / 2015 seasons.

B)    Total chlorophyll and Chemical composition

Data in Table (6) showed the effect of NPKfertilizer and biofertilization on total chlorophyll, N%, P% and K% in the leaves during the bothseasons.As for the effect of NPK fertilization obtained data showed that the treatment of 100 % NPK, gavethe highest total chlorophyll  (1.864 and 1.378 (mg/g F.W.)N ( 2.29 and 2.33%), P (0.599 and 1.592%) andK(5.19 and 5.69%),for the both seasons respectively  while theleasttotal chlorophyll, and  N, P and K% were obtained from the control treatment during bothseasons. Results in Table (6) declared that thetotal chlorophylland chemical compositionincreased due to using all different commercial bio-fertilizers when compared to the uninoculation (control) treatment with significant differences in the most traits during both season. However, the highest mean values of chemical composition during both seasons were observed due to inoculation by the mixture biofertilizer. On the other hand, bio-fertilizers treatment resulted in the highest values of all studied parameters in comparison to the other treatments during both seasons. Hence, it could be concluded that these findings may be taken place due to that the active role of phosphorus, potassium dissolving bacteria and N-fixation (cerealine) and increasing the endogenous phytohormones as reported earlier which play an important rolesin life cycles of both shoot and root systems.

 These obtained results are in compatible with those obtained by Kandeel et al. (2001) on Foeniculum vulgare and Osman (2000) on coriander. The interaction between NPKf ertilizer and biofertilization was significant on alltraits during both seasons (Table 7), whereas, theapplication of 100 % NPK and mixturebiofertilization on root zone of plant as result of adding fertilization treatments reflected positively on nutrients uptake by plants and confirm the previous vegetative growth. Similar results, more or less, were obtained by Aly (1994) on saponaria. Also, Jacoub (1999) on Ocimum basilicum, found that as all NPK rates increased; chemical compositionin the leaves and stem increased.

Table (6).Total chl. and  N, P and K% as affected by some macroelements and bio-fertilization during during 2013/2014 and 2014 / 2015 seasons.

Means of each factor designated by the same letter not significantly different at 5% using least Significant difference    (L.S.D.) 

           *: Significant at 0.05 and 0.01 level of probability.

Table (7).Total chl. and N,  P, and  K% as effected by Interaction between NPK fertilizer and bio-fertilizer sources during 2013 / 2014 and 2014 /2015 seasons.