Determination of agricultural and quality characteristics of different origin fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) populations in aydin conditions

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the agricultural and quality characteristics of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) populations collected from different regions in Aydın conditions. Material and Methods: Nine different fennel populations (Ankara, Antalya, Muğla, Denizli, Isparta, Tokat, Hatay, Diyarbakır, Malatya) were arranged to Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. In the experiment, emergence time, branching time, blooming time, fruiting time, ripening time, plant height, stem thickness, number of branches, number of umbels, number of seeds in the umbel, thousand-kernel weight, biological yield, seed yield, harvest index, essential oil ratio, essential oil yield and essential oil components were evaluated. Results: According to results of the research: emergence time: 30-35,75 days, branching time: 106-117,5 days, blooming time: 161,25-166,25 days, fruiting time: 187-198 days, ripening time: 237-242 days, plant height: 71,2-80,9 cm, stem thickness: 4,82-6,11 mm, number of branches: 5,43-6,33, number of umbels: 11,53-15,68, number of seeds in the umbel: 115,65-224,68, thousand-kernel weight: 5,92-7,06 g, biological yield: 3038-4953 kg ha-1, seed yield 330-668 kg ha-1, harvest index: 9,28-19,89%, essential oil rate: 1,80-2,53%, essential oil yield: 0,784-1,417 l/da were found. In studied populations, trans anethole (1,49-89,39%) and estragole (4,31-86,90%) were determined as the main components. Conclusion: In Aydın conditions, the performance of Antalya population in terms of seed yield and Muğla population in terms of essential oil ratio and essential oil yield were significantly found to be higher than other populations. Keywords: Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Yield, Quality, Essential Oil