Investigating the Effects of Urea, Azocompost and Cutting on Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Oregano (Origanum Vulgare Virid)

In order to investigate the effect of urea, Azocompost and cutting on growth characteristics of Oregano, a factorial split-plot experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications at Yazd and Mashhad, Iran, during 2012-2013 growing season. Four urea levels and four Azocompost levels (to provide 0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N.ha-1 each) for Yazd location )0, 43.5, 130.4 and 217.4 kg Urea.ha-1 and 0, 4.4, 13.3 and 22.0 ton Azocompost.ha-1) and for Mashhad location (0, 21.7, 108.7 and 195.7 kg Urea.ha-1 and 0, 2.2, 11.1 and 20 ton Azocompost.ha-1) were considered as the main factors and harvesting time as the sub factor. In the present study, some growth traits, yield, yield components were measured. The results of combined analysis showed that two-way interaction between urea and Azocompost was significant for all traits except for essential oil content (p<0.05). Plants treated with n1a2 (Plants treated with 40 kg chemical fertilizer ha-1 and 80 kg Azocompost ha-1) and control treatments had the highest and lowest values of all traits except plant nitrogen percentage, respectively. With increasing Azocompost levels from 0 to 120 kg N ha-1, economic yield increase was 1114 kg ha-1, while increasing the levels of chemical urea fertilizer from 0 to 120 kg ha-1 increased the economic yield about 790 kg ha-1. It seems that use of Azocompost is an excellent approach to decreasing the costs that are associated with the use of urea.