Influence of a Novel Superabsorbent Slow-release Fertilizer and Water Deficit on Herbage Biomass and Oil Production of Thymus daenensis

Fertilizers and water play critical roles in supporting plant growth, and enhancing the efficiency of their application is essential, especially in drought-affected regions, to maximize the utilization of these vital resources. In this study, our objective was to examine the impact of water deficit stress and a superabsorbent slow-release fertilizer (SSRF) on the growth, yield, and oil production of Thymus daenensis Čelak.. The experiments were conducted using a total of ۲۷ drainage lysimeters to ensure accurate measurements and observations. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized factorial design, specifically investigating the effects of three fertilizer rates (۰, ۱۰, and ۵۰ Mg/ha) and three irrigation regimes (۵۰%, ۷۰%, and ۱۰۰% of water requirement). The synthesis of the SSRF involved the graft-copolymerization of acrylic acid and acrylamide onto sodium alginate and rapeseed meal biochar. The preparation of the biochar was carried out at a temperature of ۳۰۰ ºC. The surface morphology analysis of the SSRF provided evidence for the successful occurrence of graft polymerization. Additionally, the graft copolymers exhibited a significant nitrogen content, which greatly contributed to their high free-absorbency capacity of ۴۰%. as determined by the tea bag method. The results of the study indicate that water stress had a negative impact on growth, herbage production, and herbage content. Conversely, water stress had a positive influence on the essential oil content of the plants. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the application of ۵۰ Mg/ha fertilizer resulted in a significant increase in biomass production compared to the other treatments.

کلیدواژه ها:

Acrylamide ، Growth ، yield ، Graft-copolymerization ، irrigation regimes ، biochar