EFFECT OF MINERAL NPK AND ORGANIC FERTILIZATION ON GROWTH, YIELD, ESSENTIAL OIL AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CORIANDER PLANTS

A field trial was conducted at Esna, Luxor Governorate, Egypt during 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons to study the effect of mineral NPK and organic fertilization on growth, yield, essential oil and herb N, P and K % of Coriandrum sativum, L. plants. The obtained results revealed that all studied characters of growth, yield, essential oil and herb % of NPK were significantly augmented due to the use of both low and high NPK fertilization rates with the high one giving the highest values. Concerning organic fertilization, the different growth traits (plant height, stem diameter and herb dry weight), yield and yield component characters (number of umbels/plant and fruit yield per plant and per fed), essential oil parameters (percent and yield per plant and per fed) and NPK % in the herb were gradually increased parallel to the gradual increase in compost level. The combined treatment between the low NPK rate (50 g kristalon/10.8 m2 plot)and medium compost level (10 ton/fed) resulted in better fruit and essential oil yield than that obtained from the high NPK rate. So, the possibility of substituting one half of the mineral NPK dose by the medium compost level is justified.