OPTIMIZATION OF THE SOWING METHODS FOR CULTIVATION OF FOENICULUM VULGARE (COMMON FENNEL) AS A NICHE CROP

Abstract

Research findings are given herein concerning Foeniculum Vulgare (common fennel) sowing method optimization with the implementation of the organic cultivation technique in a climate of the Polissia region, having an impact on the targeting of the main crop outputs. Common fennel is grown mainly in the southern and western regions of Ukraine. However, an option to grow fennel in a climate of the Polissia region has become real because of changes in the climatic conditions. The demand for domestically made products involving niche medicinal herbs has grown significantly in these recent times. Common fennel is known to be among the most popular niche medicinal crops. At the same time, a demand arose for increasing crop cultivation areas, as well as geographical spread thereof. It is found that the implementation of a wide-row sowing method (60 cm) has contributed to the increased seed yield of common fennel. Maximum gain in green weight of common fennel has been noted during main vegetative phases of the crop sown with a wide-row technique (60 cm), i.e. 2,471 g/sq.m in blooming period. The photosynthetic activity of fennel plants has been varied with exposure to the factor investigated. Assimilating leaf area of common fennel was ranged from 24.2 to 25.5 thousand sq.m/hectare, photosynthetic potential: from 1.512 to 1.685 million sq.m / hectare * 24h, and net photosynthetic productivity: from 3.39 to 3.65 g/sq.m * 24h. Implementation of the ordinary row sowing method (15 cm) negatively affected both the development of photosynthetic activity and the yielding ability of common fennel seeds. Over the years of research (2017-2019), the highest yield of common fennel seeds, i.e. 0.96 T/hectare (on average) was achieved with the crop sown with rows spaced 60 cm between each other. Due to the said option, the highest possible yield of dry matter (6.10 T/hectare) was achieved, thus providing for the gain of 1.13 tons per hectare.