Fertilizer type and humic acid improve the growth responses, nutrient uptake, and essential oil content on Coriandrum sativum L.

Abstract

Abstract In recent decades, the over-use of chemical fertilizers has imposed many environmental challenges worldwide. Nowadays, organic fertilizers such as vermicompost and livestock manure have gained a huge interest in sustainable agricultural systems. A 2-year field research was conducted as factorial based on a randomized complete block design to assay the fertilizer and humic acid (HA) efficiency on the growth responses and essential oil composition of Coriandrum sativum. The treatments were different fertilizer sources (livestock manure, vermicompost, and chemical fertilizers) and humic acid fertigation before and at the beginning of the flowering stage. The highest protein content was observed under vermicompost × HA application before flowering (0.118 μmol L−1 and 0.128 μmol L−1, respectively). Moreover, the co-application of organic fertilizers × HA at the beginning of flowering resulted in a significant increase in the photosynthetic pigments and N, P, K, Fe, Zn, and Mn content. According to the GC-FID and GC–MS analysis, linalool (55.91–63.19%), γ-terpinene (4.65–6.13%), α-pinene (2.64–5.74%), geranyl acetate (3.49–5.51%), 2-dodecanal (2.92–4.46%), menthol (1.33–3.90%), p-cymene (1.73–2.24%), and geraniol (1.25–2.15%) were the main essential oil constituents. The top linalool content was obtained by using chemical fertilizers and vermicompost × HA at the flowering onset stage. In general, the results revealed that chemical fertilizers could be replaced with vermicompost × HA and their co-application positively influenced the growth responses and the essential oil composition of coriander. Furthermore, the results obtained would be advisable to the extension section and the pioneer farmers to amend the large-scale production systems in favor of environmental health.