A comparative study on the effect of microclimate on planting date and water requirements under different nitrogen sources on coriander (Coriandrum sativum, L.)

Evidences stated that microclimate causes noticeable effects on life cycle, consumptive use of water and planting time of the plant species. So, two field experiments were established at Sakha Agricultural Research Station during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons in order to evaluate the effect of microclimate on planting date as well as the influence of applying nitrogen fertilization (F1: without nitrogen, F2: 60 kg nitrogen/fed as compost, F3: 30 kg nitrogen/fed as urea + 30 kg N as compost/fed and F4: 60 kg nitrogen/fed as urea) on growth, yield and components of coriander (Coriandrum sativum, L.) plants. The planting dates were October 10th, November 9th and December 9th. The obtained results showed that the microclimate affected planting date in the studied region which indicated that planting in the first third of December improved plant traits as significantly produced the heaviest weight of 1000 seeds, fruit yield/plant and /fed (1923.77 kg/fed) and decreased number of days from planting to harvest to 135 day, highest essential oil%, essential oil yield/plant and /fed, the highest N, P and K% for the two seasons. Cultivation on November 10th and December 10th were saving 11.25% and 25.17% of water applied, respectively as comparing with cultivation on October 9th. The highest productivity of irrigation water and water productivity were recorded on December 10th as 1.21 and 1.24 kg m−3, respectively. On the other hand, the consumptive use decreased from 42.71 cm on October 9th to 31.74 cm on December 10th. For the application of nitrogen sources, the F4 treatment was observed to produce the highest promoted effect on most growth parameters, yield, and the rate of increase in yield% reached to 46.25, essential oil% and oil yield in both seasons. Fourteen components were identified in coriander oil. Linalool was found to be the first major compound with the highest percentage obtained in oil sample for plants sown under all planting dates with all fertilization treatments. The highest percentage of linalool was obtained from oil sample from plants sowing on December 9th and fertilized with F4 (60 kg nitrogen/fed as urea (89.41%).