Effects of Humic Acid and Rhizobium Inoculation on the Yield and Quality of Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum L.)

Abstract

This study was conducted in Van province, Turkey during summer season in 2010-2011. Field trials were designed according to randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at the experimental fields of Faculty of Agriculture in Yuzuncu Yil University. Four humic acid (HA) doses (0, 300, 600 and 900 kg ha(-1)) were applied to fenugreek seeds (inoculated or un-inoculated). In the study, plant height (cm), number of branches (branch plant(-1)), number of pods (pod plant(-1)), pod length (cm), number of seeds in pod (seed pod(-1)), thousand-seed weight (g), yield per plant (g plant(-1)), seed yield (kg ha(-1)), protein content (%) and oil content (%) were determined. Results showed that plant height, number of pods, number of seeds in the pod, thousand-seed weight, yield per plant and seed yield were significantly increased using different humic acid concentrations but branch numbers in the plant as well as pod lenght, protein and oil content did not affected. Further, the highest seed yield was determined as 916.0 kg ha(-1) from the highest HA3 (900 kg ha(-1)) applications while the lowest yield (714.5 kg ha(-1)) was obtained from control plots. In similar way, it was detected that seed yield increased by Rhizobium inoculations. The seed yields were obtained as 835.0 and 796.0 kg ha(-1) in the first and second year, respectively.