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EFFECT OF IRRIGATION REGIME AND POTASSIUM FERTILIZER RATES ON GROWTH,YIELD, OIL COMPOSITION AND SOME WATER RELATIONS OF FENNEL PLANT (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) UNDER MIDDLE EGYPT CONDITIONS

Two field experiments were conducted during two successive seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 at Sids Horti. Res. Station, Beni-Sweif Governorate to study the effect of irrigation regime and potassium fertilizer rates on growth, yield and essential oil of fennel plants, water consumptive use (C.U.) and water use efficiency (W.U.E.). The treatments were three levels of moisture regime (irrigation at 25-30, 50-55 and 75-80% of available soil moisture depletion) combined with three potassium fertilizer levels (0, 24 and 48 kg K2O/fed.) as potassium sulphate (48 % K2O). A split plot design with four replications was used, irrigation treatments occupied the main plots, while potassium levels arranged in sub-plot. The results obtained showed that: 1-Increasing soil moisture depletion from 25-30% to 75-80% significantly decreased plant height, stem diameter, weight of 1000 seeds and percentage of essential oil in both seasons. 2-Increasing potassium levels from zero to 48 kg K2O/fed. significantly increased all the studied plant characters as well as improved water consumptive use and water use efficiency. Concerning essential oil constituents, methyl chavicol (estragole) was the major compound, followed by limonene, fenchone, anethole,  pinene, fenchyl acetate, myrcene, β-pinene, comphene and camphor. 3-Irrigation at 50-55% soil moisture depletion (I2) produced the greatest values of the number of branches/plant, the number of umbels/plant, fruits yield per plant and feddan, oil yield per plant and feddan and water use efficiency in both seasons. 4-The highest values of the amount of applied water and water consumptive use were recorded when plants were subjected to irrigation at 25-30% soil moisture depletion (I1). 5-Most of the water consumed was removed from the upper soil layer (0-30 cm) of soil profile.