Effect of Mineral, Organic and Bio- Fertilization on Yield and Quality of Parsley (Petroselluinam sativam, L.)

INTRODUCTION

Petroslinum sativum Mill (parsley) Fam. Apiaceae is a widely cultivated herb used extensively for garnishing and seasoning foods, and for production of an essential oil. Fresh parsley is one of the most popular green herbs. The mature seed is steam distilled to produce parsley seed's, oil and parsley herb oil comes from the plant bearing immature seeds. Parsley herb oil has flavor more like the fresh leaves and is in greater demand than seed oil, which is often distilled from aged seed of low germinability (Simon et al., 1984). The root may, also, be harvested for use as a medicinal herb. Parsley combines well with most foods except sweets. It has a mild taste blends other flavors together, and has a high nutrient's content and used in medicinal, household cosmetic and fragrance (Rashed, 2002).

 Fertilization is one of the most important factors limiting the productivity of plants. The intensive use of expensive mineral fertilizers in recent gears results in environmental pollution problems. However, Chemical fertilizers at extremely high rates for along period decreased the potential activity of microflora and the stability of soil organic matter (Hussien, 1995). Additionally, organic manures are in the form of compost, animals manure, farmyard manure (FYM) and green manure organic materials are generally added to soils to improve their physical and chemical properties. They enhance the soil fertility by their composition of macro and microelements, amino acid, organic acids, sugars and organic matter (Abou El- Fadl et al., 1968). Furthermore, biofertilization is an important factor being used to produce products without some mineral fertilizer that cause environmental pollution problems, and high rates of it leads to decrease the potential activity of microflora and the mobility of organic matters. Hence, the attention has been focused on the researches of bio- fertilization to safe alternative to specific chemical fertilizers. Biofertilizers play vital role for increasing the number of microorganisms and accelerate certain microbial process in the rhizosphere of inoculated soil of plants which can change the available forms of some nutrients tobe plants (Kandeel et al., 2001, Rashed, 2002; Mohamed and Abdu, 2004).

This research, however, is an attempt to find out the best fertilization  treatments (chemical fertilizer, organic manure and biofertilizer) on the vegetative growth and chemical composition of psarley (Petroselinum sativum, Mill).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two filed experiments were carried out at the Experimental Farm of Faculty of Agric. (Saba Basha) Alexandria University, at Abees region, Alexandria, Egypt, during, the two growing seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 to study the effect of fertilization treatments (chemical fertilizer, organic manure and bio- fertilization) on growth and chemical composition of parsley( Petroselinum sativum Mill) plants. The experimental design was a complete randomized block design with three replicates.

The parsley seeds were sown on November 11^th and 14^th in the two growing seasons, respectively. The plots area of each was 4 square meters  (2.0m ×2.0m) with 3 rows, the distance between the rows was 50 cm and 10 cm between plants.

The chemical fertilizers were applied as 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 were phosphorein (Bacillusmegatheruim phosphorus dissolving bacteria P.D.B.), cerealine (Azospirillum Lipoferum and Azotobacter chroococcum) which supplied by National Research Center. The inoculation, with phosphorein and cerealine was preformed by coating parsley seed with each product individually using a sticking substance (Arbic gum at 5%) just before sowing.

The organic fertilization (Sheap manure) was carried at the rates of 2 and 4 tons/fed, which were applied through the soil preparation before sowing.

The recommended dose of NPK was divided in two equal parts, the first one was applied one month after sowing and the second one was applied after the first cut.

The tested treatments were conducted as follows:

F₁: 100% NPK (control).

F₂: 75% NPK + cerealine.

F₃: 50% NPK + cerealine + phosphorein.

F₄: Organic manure (2 ton/fed) + 75% NPK.

F₅: Organic manure (2 ton/fed) + 75% NPK + cerealine.

F₆: Organic manure (2 ton/fed) + 75% NPK + phosphorein.

F₇: Organic manure (2 ton/fed) + 50% NPK + cerealine+ phosphorein.

F₈: Organic manure (4 ton/fed) + 75% NPK.

F₉: Organic manure (4 ton/fed) + 75% NPK + cerealine.

F₁₀: Organic manure (4 ton/fed) + 75% NPK + phosphorein.

F₁₁: Organic manure (4 ton/fed) + 50% NPK + cerealine+ phosphorein.

The physical and chemical characteristics of the experimental soil and used sheep manure composition are given in Tables (1) and (2). The soil was ananlyzed according to be methods deseribed by Page et al. (1982)

Table (1): The physical and chemical properties of the experimental soil in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons

Also, the chemical analysis of the organic manure was carried out according the method of Jackson (1967).

Table (2): Analysis of the applied organic manure (sheep manure)

At harvest dates on January 7^th and February 6^th in the two season, guarded plants were randomly taken from each plots and the following characteristics  were recorded:

1. Plant height (cm).
2. Fresh and dry weights of aerial parts/plant (g).
3. Leaf area index (cm²).
4. Chlorophyll (a and b), mg/g fresh weight were determined in fresh leaves samples of the fifth leaf from top at harvest and after 30 days for parsley, using the method by Moran (1982).
5. The N, P and K contents were determined in the acid digested solution which was prepared according to Hach et al. (1985) using a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid (4:10).

• Elements extraction was made on a known weight of the dried samples (0.2 mg).
• Nitrogen was determined using the microkjeladhl method according to Black (1983).
• Phosphorus was determined colorimetrically using the method described by Jackson (1967) and Potassium was estimated using flame photometer method according to Richards (1954).

1. Vitamin (C) content was determined in filtered juice samples and expressed as (mg) ascorbic acid/100 ml fresh juice as described by (A.O.A.C., 1965).
2. The percentage of major constituents (Apiole, myristiein, ß- pinene, and ß- phellandrene) 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, statistically, analyzed for ANOVA, and L.S.D. values were calculated to test the differences between the studied treatments according to Gomez and Gomez (1984).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A- Growth parameters and yield:

The obtained results, given in Tables (3 and 4) cleared, that fertilizer treatments exhibited a significant effect on all estimated traits in both seasons. Application of (F₆) treatment organic manure (2 ton)/fed + 50% NPK + cerealine + phosphorein and (F₁₁) organic manure (4 ton)/fed + 50% NPK + cerealine + phosphorin significantly, increased plant height, leaf area index, fresh and (g), dry weight (g) at two cuts as well chlorophyll a, b in both seasons. It could be concluded that this positive effect on growth characters and chlorophyll a, b in response to sheep manure levels, may be attributed to increasing maentration in plant tissues (Opera and Asigebu 1996). Also, the phosphate solubilizing bacteria (phasphorein) and nitrogen fixing (cerealine) may increase the synthesis of endogenous phytothormones i.e. IAA, GAs and CKs which play an important role in formation of a big active root system which allow more nutrients, uptake. The previous results agree, more or less, with the findings of Rashed (2002) on parsley, Gad (2001) on Anelthum graveolens; Mohammad et al. (2012) on pimpinella anisum; Abdel- Latif. (2002) on Caruim carvi and Kandeel et al. (2001) and Mohamed and Abdu (2004) on Foeniculum vulgare.   

B- Chemical composition and vitamin (C):

The data in Table (4) showed that all treatments of fertilization, affected chemical composition (N, P and K%) and vitamin, (C) content in both seasons. It is clear from data that the highest mean values of chemical composition (N, P and K%) and vitamin (C) content, resulted from the treatments of (F₇) 2 ton organic manure/fed + 50% NPK + cerealine + phosphorein and (F₁₁) 4 ton/fed organic manure + 50% NPK + cerealine+ phosphorein in both seasons.

The increment of chemical composition (N, P and K%) and vitamin (C) content of plant's leaves using the treatments of organic manure and half dose of NPK and biofertilization; may be attributed to increase in the occupancy root zone of plant as a results of adding fertilization treatments which reflected on nutrients uptake by plants and confirm the previous of vegetative growth. Similar results, more or less were obtained by Kandeel et al. (2001) and Abou El- Maged et al. (2008) on fennel; Rashed (2002) on Petroselinium sativum, Likwise the results showed significant differences for organic manure + biofertilization in the both seasons, which gave the greatest values for all chemical composition.

C- Major components percentage of essential oil:

The effect of fertilization treatments on essential oil majors compounds (Apiol, Myristien, ß. Pinene and ß- Phellandrene) percentages are shown in Table (5). The results indicated that using fertilization treatments had significant effect on the studied majors compounds percentage of parsley oil. The application of 2 tons organic manure fed + 75% NPK + phosphorein; gave the highest percentage of majors compounds in 2012/2013 season. Similar results were reported by Darzi et al (2011) on anisum and Ismail et al. (2009) on majoram plant.