Responses of Anise Medicinal Plant Species in Terms of Essential Oil Contents and Concentrations to Different Planting Times and Various Nitrogen Fertilizer Sources under Semi-Arid Climatic Conditions

Essential oil content and concentration of anise plant planted in different times under various sources of nitrogen was evaluated in this study. The experiment was conducted in a split plot based on a randomized complete block (RCB) design (different sources of fertilizer as the main plot and planting dates as subplots) with three replications in the Agricultural Research Station at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2015–2016. Treatments included: planting times (sub plot factor): (27^th of October, 27^th of November, 1^st of March, 10^th of March, and 8^th of April) and nutritional sources (main plot factor): (Cow Manure, Chemical Fertilizer, and mixture of Cow Manure + Chemical Fertilizer). The results showed that the anise plant essential oil qualitative characteristics were significantly influenced by treatments. Also, interaction between the fertilizer treatments and planting dates on the essential oil content and concentration of the plants were significant. The highest percentage of plant essential oil (3.71%) was found in the cow manure treatment, and the lowest percentage of essential oil (2.95%) was obtained in the chemical fertilizer. The highest essential oil yield (16.09 kg/ha) was found in the mixed treatment of the cow manure and the chemical fertilizer, and the chemical fertilizer treatment had the lowest rate of essential oil yield (11.41 kg/ha). The highest percentages of the plant oil (14.31%) and the plant oil yield (77.46 kg/ha) were found in the integrated treatment of the cow manure and the chemical fertilizers. The lowest amounts of the plant oil (12.19%) and the plant oil yield (41.28 kg/ha) were found in the chemical fertilizer. According to the percentage and the yield of the essential oil, the best planting time and fertilizer treatment was the one on 10th of March and using integrated cow manure and chemical fertilizer.