Response of <i>Bunium persicum</i> bioss ecotypes to chemical and biological fertilizers: growth, morpho-physiological, and phytochemical composition
Creators: name: Rad, Somayyeh Elyasi
name: Moosavi, Seyyed Gholamreza
name: Seghatoleslami, Mohammadjavad
name: Nakhaei, Fatemeh
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Plant Biology

description: The increasing demand for high-quality essential oils and sustainable agricultural practices necessitates exploring effective cultivation strategies for <i>Bunium persicum</i>. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical compositions and physiological traits of two ecotypes of <i>B. persicum</i>, ‘Birjand’ and ‘Saghafi,’ under various fertilizer treatments. A two-year project was conducted from 2021 to 2023 at the South Khorasan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center in Birjand, Iran, assessing the impact of different fertilizer sources. The experiment utilized two levels of NPK fertilizer (NPK<sub>1</sub>: 70-60-80 and NPK<sub>2</sub>: 35-30-40), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and vermicompost (VC: 10 tons.ha<sup>−1</sup>), resulting in 11 distinct treatments, including a no-fertilizer control. Results indicated that fertilizer application significantly enhanced seed yield, peaking at 703.7 kg.ha<sup>−1</sup> in the NPK1 treatment for ‘Birjand’ during the second year. Additionally, the synergistic application of AMF+VC+NPK<sub>1</sub> in the first year yielded the highest seed yield for ‘Birjand’ and improved relative water content, chlorophyll levels, plant height, number of umbels and seeds, 1000-seed weight, and essential oil yield. Key components identified included gamma-terpinene, cuminic aldehyde, and acetyl phenyl carbinol, constituting over 60% of the fatty acids profile. Notably, the NPK<sub>2</sub> treatment resulted in the highest gamma-terpinene content (32.7%), while ‘Saghafi’ showed a slightly higher average of these compounds. The combined treatment of AMF, VC, and NPK<sub>1</sub> recorded the highest averages for trans-decalone (2.79%), cuminic aldehyde (19.12%), and acetyl phenyl carbinol (19.13%), significantly enhancing fatty acid profiles and improving physiological traits in <i>B. persicum</i>. Fertilizer NPK1 (70-60-80), alone or with biological, resulted in highest seed yield and essential oil content.The combined application of fertilizers exhibited significant superiority.The 'Birjand' ecotype showed better seed yield and physiological traits, while 'Saghafi' had higher essential oil content and fatty acid profiles.AMF+VC+NPK1 boosted growth, physiology, and biochemistry, offering promise for genetic expression research in tailored fertilization and stress conditions. Fertilizer NPK1 (70-60-80), alone or with biological, resulted in highest seed yield and essential oil content. The combined application of fertilizers exhibited significant superiority. The 'Birjand' ecotype showed better seed yield and physiological traits, while 'Saghafi' had higher essential oil content and fatty acid profiles. AMF+VC+NPK1 boosted growth, physiology, and biochemistry, offering promise for genetic expression research in tailored fertilization and stress conditions.