Volume 18
Issue 3
Agronomy
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume18/issue3/abs-02.html
EVALUATION OF SALICYLIC ACID APPLICATION ON BIOMASS AND SOME MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF DRAGONHEAD UNDER WATER DEFICIT CONDITIONS
Taha Izan1, Yousef Nasiri2, Farborz Shekari2
1 Department of Natural Resources and Watershed of Piranshahr, Iran
2 Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Iran
ABSTRACT
The work presents research results from 2006–2009. The study aimed at
comparing tuber yield performance and quality of potato tubers manured with undersown
catch crops in the integrated and organic production system. Two factors were
considered in the experiment: 1. manuring with undersown catch crop: control
(no catch crop), farmyard manure, undersown catch crop biomass ploughed under
in the autumn (Persian clover, Persian clover + westerwolds ryegrass, westerwolds
ryegrass), undersown catch crop biomass retained as mulch on the soil surface
until the spring (Persian clover, Persian clover + westerwolds ryegrass, westerwolds
ryegrass); and 2. production system: integrated and organic. Spring triticale
cultivated for grain was undersown with the catch crops and was followed by table
potatoes the following year. At harvest, the total and marketable yields of potato
tubers were measured. Samples were taken to determine starch content, vitamin
C content and true protein content. The results of the study demonstrated that
the highest potato tuber yields were harvested from Persian clover/westerwolds
ryegrass plots as well as Persian clover mulch plots. Potato tuber yield and
chemical composition were affected by the production system. An application of
undersown catch crops, excluding westerwolds ryegrass, can fully replace farmyard
manure used in potato cultivation.
Key words: Salicylic acid, Moldavian balm, yield, water stress, Flowering.
Taha Izan
Department of Natural Resources and Watershed of Piranshahr, Iran
Yousef Nasiri
Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Iran
email: ysf_nasiri@yahoo.com
Farborz Shekari
Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Iran
Responses to this article, comments are invited and should be submitted within three months of the publication of the article. If accepted for publication, they will be published in the chapter headed 'Discussions' and hyperlinked to the article.