Optimizing Organic Fertilizer and Planting Density for Enhanced Biomass and Essential Oil Production in Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen. Genotypes under Rainfed Cultivation

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Plant Breeding, Department of Plant Production Engineering and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

2 Department of Forests and Rangelands Research, Kermanshah Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Kermanshah, Iran

3 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of organic fertilizer (0 and 50 t/ha farmyard manure) and planting density (4, 6, and 8 plants/m) on biomass production, essential oil (EO) yield, and chemical composition of four Thymus kotschyanus genotypes under rainfed conditions in western Iran over two growing seasons. A factorial split-plot design with three replications was employed. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant effects of genotype, planting density, and their three-way interaction with fertilizer on most measured traits. The medium planting density (6 plants/m) combined with manure application consistently optimized productivity. The highest fresh biomass (15,323 kg/ha), dry biomass (5,308.8 kg ha⁻¹), and EO yield (188.6 kg/ha) were obtained from genotype 2 under this optimal treatment. Thymol (48.99–65.44%) and carvacrol (4.20–10.91%) were the dominant EO constituents. Other major compounds included p-cymene, borneol, α-terpineol, and γ-terpinene, whose concentrations varied significantly with treatments. Pearson correlation analysis indicated strong positive associations among fresh biomass, dry biomass, and EO yield, while major EO components showed reciprocal trends in response to density and fertilizer levels. Principal component and cluster analyses distinctly separate genotypes based on their EO profiles and yield performance. In conclusion, integrating superior genotype selection (genotype 2) with sustainable organic nutrition and optimized planting density (6 plants m⁻² with 50 t/ha manure) provides an effective strategy for simultaneously enhancing both the yield and quality of Thymus kotschyanus essential oil under rainfed cultivation systems.

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Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Medicinal plants and By-products
Volume 15, Issue 4
July and August 2026
Pages 447-462

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