The Effects of Phosphate Bio-fertilizer and NPK Fertilizer on Vegetative Growth and the Amount of Phosphorus in Potmarigold (Calendula officinalis L.)

Potmarigold, scientifically known as Calendula officinalis L., has shown great medicinal properties, in addition to its use in landscapes. Because of this and sustainable agricultural development, and in order to explore the effect of different fertilizing methods, an experiment was performed, in which the effects of biological phosphate fertilizer, Barvar-2, and NPK fertilizer, as conventional chemical fertilizers, on the growth characteristics and the amount of phosphorous in plant tissue of Potmarigold were compared with different ratios separately and in combination. This research was conducted in the fields of the Department of Agriculture in Ramin Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Khuzestan, Iran, in cropping season 2012-2013. This factorial experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications and 27 experimental plots. The factors included phosphate biofertilizer in 3 levels [zero(a1), seed treatment(a2) and road(a3)] and complete fertilizer, NPK, on 3 levels [ zero(b1), 150(b2) and 300 Kg/hectar(b3)]. Studies have shown the maximum numbers of flowers (161.995) and leaves (717.17) per plant were found in co-application of chemical fertilizer. Also the maximum height were found in the combination of the second level of NPK fertilizer (106.6 cm). But the highest P content of the tissuewere found in control treatment (0.002 mg/gr). The results of this research showed that the combined use of seed treatment of phosphate biofertilizer with the second level of the complete fertilizer, NPK, resulted in the improvement of the measured traits, and can thus be recommended in order to increase productivity.