Response of Chive ( Allium schoenoprasum L.) Plant to Natural Fertilizers

Abstract

This experiment was carried out to study the effect of adding compost tea and humic acid on the growth and active ingredient of chive (Allium schoenoprasum L.) plant. Chive plants were received two organic fertilizers: the first one was compost tea (0, 100 and 200 ml / L) as main plot, and the second one was humic acid (0, 2 and 4 g/L) as sub plot. The two fertilizers were sprayed two times, 45 and 75 days after sowing. The results revealed that: the applied compost tea significantly increased growth and yield characters as well as oil percentage and yield compared with untreated plants. The plants treated with compost tea at 200ml /L produced the maximum mean values of plant height, fresh and dry weights of herb, as well as essential oil yield. However humic acid at 4 g /L recorded the highest mean values of plant height, fresh and dry weights of herb. On the other hand, humic acid at 2g/l gave the highest values of essential oil yield. Also, the interaction treatments had a significant effect on all traits under study. Thirty compounds of Chive EO were identified by GC-MS analysis, representing from 65.07 to 93.29% of the total EO. The main compounds found were dipropyl disulfide (12.8–35.4%), dipropyl trisulfide (12.9-30.05%), methyl propyl trisulfide (3.80–9.03%) and 1-propenyl propyl disulfide (1.56 –10%). The highest amounts of dipropyl disulfide and1-propenyl propyl disulfide were detected with humic acid at 4g/L treatment. Treatment of compost tea at 200 ml / L + humic acid at 2 g / L caused the greatest accumulation of dipropyl trisulfide.

Keywords

• humic acid
• organic fertilizers
• chive
• compost tea