EFFECT OF COMPOST AND SOME BIO-STIMULANT TREATMENTS ON: A. GROWTH AND FRUIT YIELD PRODUCTION OF CUMIN (CUMINUM CYMINUM, L.) PLANTS

A field experiment was carried out at the experimental farm of Fac. of Agric., Minia Univ. during two seasons (2012/2013 and 2013/2014) to study the effect of compost (0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 ton/fed) and eight bio-stimulant treatments (salicylic acid (Sal.) at 100 and 200 ppm, ascorbic acid (Asc.) at 100 and 200 ppm, active yeast at 5 and 10 g/l, vit. E at 50 and 100 ppm and control) on growth and fruit yield production of cumin plants. The data showed that using 7.5 ton/fed compost significantly increased vegetative growth parameters (plant height, stem diameter, number of branches/plant and herb dry weight/plant) and yield and yield components characters (number of umbels/plant, fruit yield/plant and / weight of 1000 fruits) comparing with other treatments. Treating plants with Sal., Asc., active yeast and vit. E, each at two concentrations significantly increased vegetative growth parameters and yield and yield component characters comparing with control treatment, except Asc. at 100 ppm for weight of 1000 fruits during the first season. The best treatments were Sal. followed by Asc., then active yeast and vit. E, each at high concentrations in this concern.