IMPROVED GROWTH, SEED YIELD AND QUALITY OF FENNEL (FOENICULUM VULGARE MILL.) THROUGH SOIL APPLIED NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS.

In Pakistan, fennel is conventionally grown without fertilizer. A field experiment, was conducted to study the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer treatments (NP in ratio of 0:0, 30:0, -1 0:30, 30:15, 30:30, 60:30, 60:60, 90:45 and 90:90 kg ha-1 ) on growth, seed yield and quality of fennel during 2011-2012. Fertilizer NP dose (90:45 kg ha-1 ) increased plant height by 44%, number of leaves per plant by 76%, 1000 seed weight by 44%, biological yield by 50%, seed yield by 296%, harvest index by 162% and protein content by 6%. However, fertilizer NP (90:45 kg ha-1 ) decreased oil content by 26%. Therefore, addition of NP fertilizer had the potential to increase fennel seed yield, but reduce oil content, under Faisalabad conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]