The application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and putricin (Put) on vegetative characteristics, yield and essential oil content of Cumin medicinal plant (Cuminum cyminum) under drought stress conditions

To study the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation and Putricine (Put) on the growth characteristics, essential oil content and yield of cumin plant (Cuminum cyminum L.), a two-year study as factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications was conducted in the Kohgiloueh and Boyer Ahmad Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center. The factors were AMF inoculation (non-inoculated and inoculated with Glomus mosseae (35 g of fungi inoculum containing 1450 spores), Put at three concentration (0, 1000 and 2000 mg:-1) and two irrigation regimes (irrigation after 20% (normal irrigation) and 60% (irrigation after draining 20% (normal irrigation) and 60% (severe stress) of the plant's available water). The results showed that drought stress had a significant effect on the vegetative traits, seed yield and essential oil content and yield of cumin, so that with the increase of drought stress the studied traits decreased drastically. The effect of arbuscular fungi and putricin on vegetative parameters, yield and essential oil content wasvery significant. Plants inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi had higher growth, seed yield and essential oil content in both drought stress and non-stress conditions compared to non-inoculated plants. Therefore, it can be concluded that in water-deficient conditions, inoculation of plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and foliar spraying of putricin improve the growth characteristics, seed yield and essential oil of cumin plant.