Response of Chive (Allium schoenoprasum L.) Plant to Natural Fertilizers

A field experiment was carried out at the Experimental Farm of SEKEM Company in Bilbes, Sharqia Governorate, Egypt during the 2019 season, in order to study the effect of adding compost tea and humic acid on the growth and active ingredient of the chive (Allium schoenoprasum L.) plant. Chive seeds were sown in nursery in August, two months later seedlings were transplanted to permanent soil. The chive plants received two organic fertilizers: the first one was compost tea (0, 100 and 200 ml/L) as main plot, and the second one was humic acid (0, 2 and 4 g/L) as sub plot. The two fertilizers were sprayed twice, 45 and 75 days after sowing. The results revealed that: the applied compost tea significantly increased the growth and yield characteristics as well as oil percentage and yield, compared with untreated plants. The plants treated with compost tea at 200 ml / L produced the maximum mean values of plant height, fresh and dry weights of herb, as well as essential oil yield. However, humic acid at 4 g /L recorded the highest mean values of plant height, fresh and dry weights of herb. On the other hand, humic acid at 2 g/L gave the highest values of essential oil yield. Moreover, the interaction treatments had a significant effect on all traits under study. Thirty compounds of Chive essential oil (EO) were identified by GC-MS analysis, representing from 65.07 to 93.29% of the total EO. The main compounds found were dipropyl disulfide (12.8-35.4%), dipropyl trisulfide (12.9-30.05%), methyl propyl trisulfide (3.80-9.03%) and 1-propenyl propyl disulfide (1.56-10%). The highest amounts of dipropyl disulfide and1-propenyl propyl disulfide were detected with humic acid at 4 g/L treatment. The treatment of compost tea at 200 ml/L + humic acid at 2 g/L caused the greatest accumulation of dipropyl trisulfide which recorded 30.05%, while the greatest values of methyl propyl trisulfide (9.03%) were recorded as a result of tea compost at 100 ml/L.