Journal
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94681-9
Keywords
-
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
In the intercropping of thyme with soybean, moderate and severe water deficits led to decreased dry yield of thyme, while application of AMF significantly influenced the nutrient content and essential oil quality of thyme.
Intercropping of medicinal plants/legumes along with bio-fertilizer application is a relatively new sustainable practice for improving the yield and secondary metabolites production. Here, a 2-years field experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of water deficit stress and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) application (as bio-fertilizer) on nutrients concentration, dry matter yield, essential oil quantity and quality of thyme in intercropping with soybean. Three irrigation levels, including (i) irrigation after depletion of 20% (I-20) as non-stressed, 50% (I-50) as moderate water deficit and 80% (I-80) available water as severe water deficit were applied as the main factor. The sub-factor was represented by different cropping patterns including thyme sole culture, replacement intercrop ratio of 50:50 and 66:34 (soybean: thyme) and the third factor was non-usage (control) and usage of AMF. According to our results, the thyme dry yield under moderate and severe water deficit stress decreased by 35 and 44% in the first year, and by 27 and 40% in the second year compared with non-stressed (I-20) plants, respectively. Also, the macro- and micro-nutrients of thyme leaves increased significantly in intercropping patterns after application of AMF. The maximum essential oil percentage of thyme was achieved in 50:50 intercropping ratio treated with AMF. Under moderate and severe water deficits, the major constituents of thyme essential oil including thymol, p-cymene and gamma -terpinene were increased in intercropping patterns treated with AMF. Generally, AMF application in intercropping ratio of 50:50 may be proposed to farmers as an eco-friendly approach to achieve desirable essential oil quality and quantity in thyme under water deficit stress conditions.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available