Development of drought tolerant synthetic cultivars of fennel and their assessment under normal and drought conditions at stage after flowering

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is one of the most important medicinal plants with many usages in medical, food and cosmetic industries. Development method of two early and medium maturity synthetic cultivars of fennel with the aim of drought tolerance is discussed. The synthetic cultivars were assessed along with their elite parents at two separate environments, with normal irrigation and drought stress conditions. Results showed on the two environmental conditions, there were significant differences among the genotypes. Mean comparison of genotypes showed that in non-stress conditions, the most seed yield belonged to parental medium maturity genotypes of Meshkinshahr and Fozveh; and in drought stress conditions belonged to early and medium maturity synthetic cultivars. Independent mean comparison among the synthetic cultivars and the parents in each growth conditions showed that; in stress conditions according to the elite parents the synthetic cultivars had higher seed and essential oil yields. Finally, for enhancement of drought tolerance of fennel species, breeding method of synthetic cultivar is recommended, so that in environments with variable climate, especially water shortage, the mentioned cultivars can produce satisfactory yield.