Asian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 1(1): 12-14, 2009
ISSN: 2041-3890
© M axwell Scientific Organization, 2009
Effects of Drought Stress and Planting Density on Quantity and Morphological
Characteristics of Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.)
1
1
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M.Taheri Asghari, 1,2 J. Daneshian and 1 H.Aliabadi Farahani
Islamic Azad University of Takestan B ranch, 10km Quzwin-Zanjan highway,
Azad University of Takestan, Faculty of Agriculture, Iran
Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (SPII), P.O.Box 4119, Mardabad Rd, Karaj 31585, Iran
Abs tract: In order to study the effects of drought stress and planting density on quantity and morphological
characteristics of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), this experiment was conducted at Iran in 2006. Field
experiment was carried out by a split plot design with 4 replications. The factors which studied included
irrigations according (50 (without drought stress), 100 (mild drought stress) and 150 (high drought stress) mm
water evaporation from evaporation pan) and planting densities (6, 9, 12 and 15 plan t/m 2 ). The results showed
that drought stress had significant effect on biological yield, lateral stem number, leaf number and pod number
and plant height had not significantly affected due to drought stress. Mea ns compression show ed that highest
biological yield, lateral stem number, plant height, leaf number and pod number were achieved under without
drought stress. A lso plan ting density had significant effect on lateral stem number, leaf number and pod number
and biological yield and plant height had not significantly affected due to planting density. Means compression
showed that highest biological yield and plant height were achieved under 15 p lant/m 2 and highest lateral stem
numb er, pod number and leaf number were achieved under 6 plant/m 2 . The results of this experiment showed
that drought stress and planting den sity are im portan t effective factors on qu antity an d mo rphological
chara cteristics o f plants th at they can affect on quan tity yield of chicory sorely.
Key w ords: Planting density, drought stress, leaf number, pod number, plant height, biological yield and
chicory
INTRODUCTION
Drought stress is especially important in countries
whe re crop agriculture is essentially rain-fed (Boye r,
1982; Ludlow and Muchow , 1990). Drought stress causes
an increase in solute concentration in the en vironmen t,
leading to an osm otic flow of w ater out of plant cells.
This in turn causes the solute concentration inside plant
cells to increase, thus lowering water potential and
disrupting membranes along with essential processes like
photosynthesis. T h es e d ro u g h t-s tres s ed pla nts
consequ ently exhib it poor grow th and yield. In worst case
scenarios, the plants completely die. Certain plants have
devised mechanisms to survive under low water
conditions. These mechanisms have been classified as
tolerance, avoidance or escape (Kramer and Boyer, 1995;
Neumann, 1995). Drought stress reduced dry matters of
chicory by reduction in the area of the leaf and height
plant (Labreveux and Hall, 2002). High plant density may
increase relative h umid ity within the canopy and increase
the duration of leaf wetness by reducing air movement
and sun light penetration (Burdona and Chilvers, 1982
and Tu, 1997). Thus plant density could have significant
impact on plant disease incidence (Burdona and Chilvers,
1982; Copes and Scherm, 2005). The treatments in an
experiment on chicory were 60000, 80000, 130000 and
170000 plants/h a. The average total fresh w eight/plant,
the marketable fresh weight/plant and head size were
higher at the lower plant density. The total yield was
higher at the treatmen t with 4 plants/m 2 and a double
planting line/row. The h ighest marketable and ex port
quality yield was obtained with the treatment 4 plants/m,
single planting line/row. T he low est ma rketab le yield was
observed in the highest plant density treatment. The
critical plant density was 0.2 m with a single row
(Carrasco et al., 1998). Two experiments were conducted
in Southern Italy with two cultivars of chicory such us
"Cico ria da fog lie" (leaf chicory) and "Cicoria di
Galatina" ("asparagus chicory") grown at three plant
densities (11.1, 5 .6 and 3.7 plants/m 2 ). At maturity, the
aerial part of the plant was excised or not. With the
closest spacing during the second year a high seed yield,
stems per plant and germination percentage were noticed.
Leaving the plants in situ resulted in a faster germination,
while the excised plants showed a decrease in seed yield,
seed per plant, 1000 seed weight, plant height and number
of stems per plant (Bianco et al., 1994). W ater deficit
occurs when w ater potentials in the rhizosph ere are
sufficien tly negative to reduce water availability to suboptimal levels for plant growth and development
(Aliabadi Farahani et al., 2008a). The results of a study
showed that drought stress reduced flowering shoot yield,
essential oil yield and internode length, and increased
essential oil perce ntage of coriander (Aliab adi Farahani
et al., 2008b). Irrigation according an d plan ting density
are the most important environmental factors that effect
on plants yield. Therefore, this experiment was carried out
to study the effects of irrigation according and
planting
density on biological yield of chicory
(Cichorium intybus L.).
Corresponding Author: M.Taheri Asghari, Islamic Azad University of Takestan Branch, 10km Quzwin-Zanjan
highway, Azad University of Takestan, Faculty of Agriculture, Iran
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Asian J. Agr. Sci., 1(1): 12-14, 2009
leaf/plant), pod num ber (13 5 pod/plant), lateral stem
number (10.7 stem/plant) and plan t height (119.2 cm)
were achieved under without drought stress (Table 2).
Also, the results showed that planting density had
significa ntly affected leaf number, pod number and lateral
stem num ber in P <0.01. Bio logical yield and plant height
had not significantly affected due to planting den sity
(Table 1). Highest biological yield (21870 kg/ha) and
plant height (116.3 cm) were achieved under planting
density of 15 p lant/m 2 . Highest leaf number (22
leaf/plant), pod num ber (17 1.6 po d/plant) and lateral stem
number (10.9 stem/plant) were achieved under planting
density of 6 plant/m 2 (Table 2). Interaction of drought
stress and planting density had significantly affected
biological yield and lateral stem number in P<0.01
(Table 1). Highest biological yield (20789 kg/ha) was
achieved under without drought stress and planting
density of 15 p lant/m 2 and highest lateral stem number
(26.1 stem/plant) was achieved under without drought
stress and p lanting density of 6 plant/m 2 (Table 3). As it
was show n in the results of this study, water deficit stress
had a negative effect on most of the ch icory
characteristics under study.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
An experiment was carried out using a split plot
based randomized complete block design with 4
replications. The factors studied included irrigations
according (50 (withou t drought stress), 100 (mild drought
stress) and 150 (high drought stress) mm water
evaporation from evaporation pan) and planting densities
(6, 9, 12 and 15 plan t/m 2 ). At the end of grow th stage for
determination of some characteristics of chicory, we
selected 10 plants from each plot and then determined
biological yield, stem yield, plant height, lateral stem
numb er, leaf yield, root diameter an d etc. Data w ere
subjected to analysis of variance (ANOV A) using the
Statistical Analysis System (SAS institute, 1996)
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results showed that drought stress ha d significantly
affected on biological yield, leaf number, pod number and
lateral stem number in P<0.01 and plant height had not
significa ntly affected due to drought stress (Table 1).
Highest biological yield (19708 kg/ha), leaf num ber (16 .8
Table 1: V ariance analysis
Value Sources
Replication
drough t stress
Error a
Plan ting d ens ity
drough t stress ´ Planting density
Error b
CV %
* a nd ** : Sig nifi can t at 5 % an d 1 %
df
3
2
6
3
6
27
Bio logic al yield
320.501
15028.722**
577.908
307.714
4588.082 **
621.586
16.37
lev els r esp ecti ve ly.
M eans S quare
Lateral stem
406.167**
13113.188 **
25.438
8290**
343.438 **
40.995
7.13
Table 2 : Means comparison
Treatmentsstem
Pod Nu mber
13996.41
1343165.688 **
74940.66
341060.41 **
28559.576
46365.873
19 .8
Biological
Leteral stem
Pod Nu mber
yield
(stem /plan t)
(po d/pla nt)
50 mm evaporation
19708 a
10.7 a
135 a
drough t stress
100 mm evaporation
14133b
9.4b
92.1b
150 mm evaporation
14123 b
5.5 c
83.6 c
6 pla nt/m 2
9480 d
10.9 a
171.6 a
9 pla nt/m 2
13824 c
8.2 b
107 b
Plan ting d ens ity
12 p lant/m 2
18192 b
8b
85 c
15 p lant/m 2
21870 a
8.2 b
89.1 c
M eans w ithin the sam e colum n and row s and factors, follow ed by the sam e letter are no t significantly d ifference
Table 3 : Means comparison of interaction
Survey instance Qualification
Biological
yield
14594 c
16766 bc
18950 b
20789 a
Plant height
0.102
0.032
0.039
0.021
0.036
0.031
18.48
Plant Height
(cm)
119.2 a
100.3b
95.3 b
92.3 c
102.4 bc
108.7 ab
116.3 a
(P <0.05 ).
Leaf Numb er
2424.743*
4414.521 **
331.943
11088.188**
141.188
266.984
10.13
Leaf Numb er
(leaf/p lant)
16.8 a
15.6b
13.7 c
22 a
16 b
13.7 b
13.5 b
Leteral stem
Pod Nu mber
Plant Height
Leaf Numb er
(stem /plan t)
(po d/pla nt)
(cm)
(leaf/p lant)
6 pla nt/m 2
26.1 a
217 a
148.7 a
37.4 a
9 pla nt/m 2
11.5 bcd
144 bc
114.3 b
20 c
50 mm evaporation
12 p lant/m 2
6.7 efg
112.4 c
109 bc
12.7 def
15 p lant/m 2
4.5 hg
115 c
92.3 cd
8.8 fg
6 pla nt/m 2
23.1 ab
152.1 b
116.3 b
33.1 b
11807
d
100 mm evaporation
9 pla nt/m 2
13979 cd
10 cde
101.3 cd
111 bc
19.1 c
12 p lant/m 2
16163 bc
6.4 efg
67.4 e
102 bcd
12 efg
15 p lant/m 2
18002 b
3.3 hi
82.3 d
83.8 d
8.6 g
2
6 pla nt/m
19.8 abc
145.7 bc
114.5 b
30.7 b
11802
d
150 mm evaporation
9 pla nt/m 2
9.4 def,
75.9 d
109 bc
17.6 cde
13974
cd
12 p lant/m 2
16158 bc
6.1 fg
75.3 d
97.5 bcd
11.8 efg
2
15 p lant/m
17952 b
2.5 I
70 e
38.2 e
8g
Means w ithin the same column and rows and factors, followed by the same letter are not significantly difference (P<0.05) using Duncan ' s
mu ltiple ra nge test.
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Asian J. Agr. Sci., 1(1): 12-14, 2009
This shows that in order to resist water deficit stress, the
plant uses different ways. G reat reduction in the len gth
and width of the leaf and accordingly reduction in the area
of the leaf, reduction in the plant height and lateral stem
numb er, all contribute to the reduction of plant’s
evaporation area and consequently reduction in the
produced dry matter is the final result of the redu ction in
the plant’s photosynthesis which in turn, is the result of
water deficit stress. Under water deficit stress, stomatals
become block ed or h alf-blocked and this leads to a
decrease in absorbing Co 2 and on the other hand, the
plants consume a lot of energy to absorb water, these
cause a reduction in prod ucing photosynthetic matters. It
was also seen that as the increase of water deficit stress,
its plant height, root diameter and stem yield decreased.
Shoot reduction could be due to the reduction in the area
of photosynthesis, drop in producing chlorophyll, the rise
of the energy consumed by the plant in order to take in
water and to increase the density of the protoplasm and to
change respiratory paths and the activation of the path of
phospha te pentose, or the reduction of the root deploy,
etc. This fact indicates that exerting water deficit stress,
the flowering shoot yield decreased of chicory. The
results showed that highest leaf, pod and lateral stem
numbers were achieved under planting density of 6
plant/m 2 , because the plant increased its shoot for increase
of assimilation matters by increase of refulgence absorb
for com pensation of low density in this condition.
Therefore were increased leaf and lateral stem number
under planting den sity of 6 plant/m 2 . Also pod number
was increased under low density because flower
reproductive cells increased in this condition by low
rivalry between plants. The plant increases its root
diameter for increase of water absorb under hig h den sity
by high rivalry between plants, but root length increases
under low density because be assimilation matters enough
for increase of root length. The increase of planting
density causes increase in plant height and debilitates
stems by decrease o f stem diameter.
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CONCLUSION
The investigation show ed that drought stress and
planting density are important effective factors on
quantity and q uality yield of plants that they can affect on
quantity yield of chicory so rely.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are indebted to Dr. Bigdeli and
Dr. Shiranirad for providing financial assistance and
continuous encouragement to carry out in the
investigation.
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