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CORESTA Congress, Paris, 2006, AP 09

Effect of natural zeolite application and K2O on yield and quality of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum Var. Coker 347)

RANJBAR M.; ALLIZADEH N.S.; ESFAHANY M.; KAVOUSI M.
Guilan Tobacco Research Center, Rasht, Iran.

Many reports have described that natural zeolite have many useful properties, such as high Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC=1-4 meq / 100 gr), ability of absorption and emission of water, ability of ammonium absorption and inhibiting of nitrate leaching which is useful to soil amendment. In order to study the effects of zeolite and potassium fertilizer application on yield and quality of tobacco (Coker 347), a farm experiment was conducted in factorial with two factors and the basis of completely randomized block design (RCBD) with 15 factorial treatments and 3 replications for 2 years (2005, 2006). The A factor was 4 level of zeolite (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 kg) and B factor was 3 level of K2O (100, 200, 300 kg). Important plant characteristics including, plant height, number of leaf, stem diameter, flowering date, fresh and dry weight of leaf, leaf chlorophyll content, specific leaf area (SLA), yield price, reducing sugar and nicotine content, total nitrogen and potassium were measured. Factor analysis of variance for each year and analysis of variance for two factors combined data based on two years in same place with same randomization in each year was done on the basis of RCBD. Results showed that the main effects of zeolite on dry weight of leaf and yield price was significant and main effect of K2O on reducing sugar and yield price was significant. Contradiction of Zeolite and K2O on plant height, dry weight of leaf, yield price was significant. Contradiction of Zeolite and K2O and year on dry weight of leaf and yield was significant. Mean comparison of main effect A on dry weight of leaf based on Duncans multiple range test showed that combined treatment number 7 (Z3,K1) with 2310 kg/h is better than other treatment. Investigation correlation between dry weight of leaf and other parts of yield showed that dry weight of leaf has strong relation (r =0/77) with (SLA).