Document Type : Research Article
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Abstract
Progressive usage of medicinal plants has necessitated their mass production using the minimum amounts of chemical inputs. To find out the effects of urea and pelleted animal manure and some micronutrients on yield and its components in pumpkin, a split plot experiment based on RCBD with three replicates was conducted at the Research Farm of Abouraihan Campus, University of Tehran in 2011. The pelleted animal manure and urea with four levels (150 kg urea, 50 kg urea+3.5 tone animal manure, 100 kg urea+1.5 tone animal manure and 150 kg urea+1.5 tone animal manure) were considered as the main plot and micronutrients with three levels (1000, 2000 and 3000 (mg kg-1); including iron, zinc, manganese from a chelate source and boron from boric acid source) were consideredas sub plots. Analysis of variance and comparison of means showed that usage of pelleted manure with urea was superior to using urea alone. The maximum fruit and seed yield, number of seeds perfruit and1000seed weight were observed where 1.5 tone pelleted animal manure+150 kg urea with 2000 (mg kg-1) of micronutrients was applied. Micronutrients did not show any significant effect on fruit number per square meter, seed dried weight per fruit, and single fruit weight. Moreover, the interaction effect of pelleted animal manure plus urea and micronutrients on immature seeds percent was significant at 1% level. Where 150 kg urea+1.5 tone animal manure in combination with 3000 (mg kg-1) of micronutrients was applied, the lowest percentage of immature seeds (22.6%) was achieved. Overall, applying 150 kg urea+1.5 tone animal manure in combination with 2000 (mg kg-1) of micronutrients could be suggested as the best option for achievement of the maximum yield characteristics of pumpkin medicinal plant.
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