Effect of phosphorus fertilization and planting distances on the amount of volatile oil fennel

Abstract

The aim of the study was to find out how four planting spaces (20, 25, 30, and 35 cm) and four amounts of phosphorous fertilizer (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg/ha) affected the growth and yield of the fennel plant Foeniculum vulgare. Two experiments were carried out in the Horticulture Department's experimental farm at Omar Al-mukhtar University's Faculty of Agriculture in El-Baida City in order to accomplish these targets. A split-plot system in a randomized complete block design with three replicates was used for the experiment. While the planting sites were given at random in the sub-plots, the phosphorus rates were dispersed randomly among the plots. The percentage of volatile oil in the fruit increased gradually under all phosphate fertilization treatments, maximum at a fertilization rate of 120 kg/ha. During the study, every phosphate fertilizer treatment significantly increased the fruit's volatile oil output. Up until the application rate reached 80 kg/ha, the yield increased gradually. After that, it began to decrease at 120 kg/ha, but it was still higher than the control.  As compared to the baseline spacing of 20 cm, the percentage of volatile oil in the fruits increased dramatically when the distance between plants was increased. The combined treatment of 80 kg/ha and planting at a spacing of 35 cm produced the maximum proportion of volatile oil in the dried fennel fruits. When compared to the control, all tested combination treatments improved the overall production of volatile oil in the fruits; the greatest values were recorded at 80 kg/ha and planting at a 30 cm spacing.