EFFECT OF CHICKEN MANURE AND AMMONIUM SULPHATE FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND OIL CONTENT OF LEMONGRASS By Amira Yagoub Elmahdi B.Sc. (Agric.) Sudan University for Science & Technology 1998 A Dissertation submitted to the University of Khartoum in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Science in Agriculture (Horticulure) Department of Horticulture Faculty of Agriculture University of Khartoum March 2004 1 a DEDICATION I dedicate this work To my deer mother, the soul of my father, brothers & sisters And special dedication to my deer husband With love and respect… 2 ACKNOWLEGDMENT I would like to express my sincere thanks and deepest appreciation to my supervisor, Prof. Gaafar M. El Hassan, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, for his supervision, helpful guidance throughout my study. My deepest thanks are also due to Dr. Awatif Ahmed from the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Institute; and the members of Chemistry Laboratory for their help during the oil extraction. I'm also indebted to Mr. Elrasheed Ahmed Salim for helpful and printing of the thesis. Thanks are also to Dr. Tag El Sir Ebraheem, the head of Department of Horticulture – College of Agricultural Studies –Sudan University for Science and Technology. Thanks also indebted to those who cooperated with me but not mentioned. 3 ABSTRACT This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Ammonium Sulphate and organic fertilizer on herbage yield and oil content of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus). The experiment was conducted at the demonstration farm at Khartoum University – Faculty of Agriculture at Shambat during summer season, sowing date of he experiment was 30/3/2003. The treatments of this study were fertilization using pure 5Ton/Fed. And combined fertilizer; Chicken manure, 2.5 Ton/fed with 2 N Ammonium sulphate and control. Fertilizer treatments gave the highest growth and herbage yield but in the second harvest fresh weight in combined fertilizer treatment was better than organic fertilizer. Oil content was the same in the three treatments in the two harvests. But the oil content was decreased in the second harvest compared to the first harvest. 4 ﻤﻠﺨﺹ ﺍﻷﻁﺭﻭﺤﺔ ﺃﺠﺭﻴﺕ ﻫﺫﻩ ﺍﻟﺘﺠﺭﺒﺔ ﺒﻬﺩﻑ ﺩﺭﺍﺴﺔ ﺘﺄﺜﻴﺭ ﺍﻟﺴﻤﺎﺩ ﺍﻟﻌﻀﻭﻱ ( ﺍﻟﺩﻭﺍﺠﻥ ) ﻭﻜﺒﺭﻴﺘـﺎﺕ ﺍﻻﻤﻭﻨﻴﻭﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺇﻨﺘﺎﺝ ﺍﻟﻌﺸﺏ ﻭﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﺍﻟﺯﻴﺕ ﻓﻲ ﻨﺒـﺎﺕ ﺤﺸﻴـﺸﺔ ﺍﻟﻠﻴﻤـﻭﻥ ﺒﺎﻟﺤﻘـل ﺍﻹﻴﻀﺎﺤﻲ ﺒﻜﻠﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺯﺭﺍﻋﺔ – ﺠﺎﻤﻌﺔ ﺍﻟﺨﺭﻁﻭ ﻡ ﺒﺸﻤﺒﺎﺕ ﻓﻲ ﻤﻭﺴﻡ ﺍﻟﺼﻴﻑ ﺒﺘـﺎﺭﻴﺦ 30/3/2003ﻡ. ﺍﺸﺘﻤﻠﺕ ﻤﻌﺎﻤﻼﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﺴﻤﻴﺩ ﺒﺈ ﻀﺎﻓﺔ 5 ﻁﻥ ﺴﻤﺎﺩ ﻋﻀﻭﻱ (ﺩﻭﺍﺠـﻥ ) ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﻤﻠﺔ ﺍﻟﺜﺎﻨﻴﺔ 2,5 ﻁﻥ ﻟﻠﻔﺩﺍﻥ ﺴﻤﺎﺩ ﻋﻀﻭﻱ ﻤﻊ 2N ﺴﻤﺎﺩ ﻜﻴﻤﻴﺎﺌﻲ (ﻜﺒﺭﻴﺘـﺎﺕ ﺍﻻﻤﻭﻨﻴﻭﻡ). ﻤﻌﺎﻤﻼﺕ ﺍﻟﺴﻤﺎﺩ ﺃﻋﻁﺕ ﺃﻓﻀل ﺍﻟﻨﺘﺎﺌﺞ ﻟﻨﻤﺅ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﺎﺕ ﻭﺒﺎﻟﺘﺎﻟﻲ ﺍﻨﺘﺎﺝ ﺍﻟﻌـﺸﺏ، ﻭﻟﻜﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺤﺼﺩﺓ ﺍﻟﺜﺎﻨﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻭﺯﻥ ﺍﻟﺭﻁﺏ ﺃﻋﻁﻰ ﺃﻓﻀل ﻨﺘﻴﺠﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻤﻌﺎﻤﻠـﺔ ﺍﻟـﺴﻤﺎﺩ ﺍﻟﻌﻀﻭﻱ ﻤﻊ ﺍﻟﻜﻴﻤﺎﺌﻲ ﻤﻘﺎﺭﻨﺔ ﺒﺎﻟﻌﻀﻭﻱ. ﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﺍﻟﺯﻴﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺜﻼﺙ ﻤﻌﺎﻤﻼﺕ ﻤﺘﺴﺎﻭﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻜل ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﺤـﺼﺎﺩﻴﻥ، ﻭﻟﻜـﻥ ﻫﻨﺎﻟﻙ ﺍﻨﺨﻔﺎﺽ ﻓﻲ ﻜﻤﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺯﻴﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺤﺼﺎﺩ ﺍﻟﺜﺎﻨﻲ ﻤﻘﺎﺭﻨﺔ ﺒﺎﻟﺤﺼﺎﺩ ﺍﻻﻭل. 5 Contents Dedication………………………………………………….…………….. i Acknowledgements……………………………………………………… ii English Abstract…………………………………………………….…… iii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………… ii English Abstract………………………………………………………… iii Arabic Abstract………………………………………………………….. iv Contents..………………………………………………………...……… V List of Tables………………………………..………….......………....... Viii List of Figures………………………………………………………… viii List of Plates……………………………………………..…………....… ix List of Plates……………………………………………..…………....… ix List of Appendices……………………………………….……….…..…. ix 1. CHAPTER ONE (INTRODUCTION)………………………..………. 1 2. CHAPTER TWO (LITERATURE REVIEW)………………...……… 3 2.1. Plant Botany……………………………………………………...… 3 2.1.1. Botany…………………………………………………………...… 3 2.1.2. Cymbopogon spp………………………………………………….. 4 2.2. Crop establishment………………………………………………….. 6 2.3. Factors effecting oil yield and herbage production in Cymbopogon species……………………………………………………………………. 6 2.3.1. Effect of seasonal variation……………………………………….. 6 2.3. Factors affecting oil yield and herbage production in Cymbopogon species……………………………………………………………………. 6 2.3.1. Effect of seasonal variation……………………………………….. 7 2.3.1. Effect of leaf age…………………………………………………. 7 2.3.3. Effect of Nitrogen fertilizer on growth and oil content…………… 8 2. 4. Effect of Sulphur on growth and development……………………... 9 6 2.5. Effect of organic fertilizer on plant Growth………………………… 10 2.5.2. Chicken manure Fertilizer……………………………………….. 10 2.6. Volatile oil…………………………………………………………. 12 2.6.1. Extraction of volatile oils………………………………………... 14 2.6.2. Chemistry of Cymbopogon citratus oil……………….................. 16 2.6.3. The physiochemical properties of lemon grass oil………………. 16 2.7. Uses of Cymbopogon citrates……………………………………… 17 3. CHAPTER THREE (MATERIALS AND METHODS)………….… 19 3.1. Location………………………………………………………….… 19 3.2. Climate……………………………………………..……………… 19 2.3. Soil……………………………………………………………...….. 19 3.4. Source of the plant……………………………………………....…. 19 3.5. Plant management……………………………………………….… 19 3.6. Experimental design……………………………………………….. 20 3.7. Data collection……….…………………………………………….... 24 3.7.1. Growth parameters…………………………………….………… 24 3.7.1.1. Plant height…………………………………………………….. 24 3.7.1.2. Root length…………………………………………………….. 24 2.7.1.3. Number of stools………………………………………………. 24 2.7.1.4. Leaf length……………………………………………………... 24 2.7.1.5. Fresh weight………………………………………………….... 24 2.7.1.6. Dry weight…………………………………………………....... 24 2.8. Determination of oil content (Oil extraction)…………………….... 28 4. CHAPTER FOUR (RESULTS)…………… ……………………..… 30 4.1. Effect of Chicken Manure and Ammonium Sulphate on lemon grass growth parameter……………………………………………………….. 30 4.1.1. Plant height……………………………………………………... 30 4.1.2. Root length………………………………………………………. 30 7 4.1.3. Fresh weight……………………………………………………... 30 4.1.4. Dry weight……………………………………………………….. 35 4.2. Effect of chicken manure and ammonium sulphate on number of stools…………………………………………………………………..... 35 4.3. Effect of chicken manure and ammonium sulphate on leaf length... 39 4.4. Effect of chicken manure and ammonium sulphate on the oil content of lemon grass………………………………………………… 40 5. CHAPER FIVE (DISCUSSION)....................................................... 45 5.1. Effect of chicken manure and ammonium sulphate on growth……………………………………………………………...…… 45 5.1. Effect of chicken manure and ammonium sulphate on oil conten…………………………………………………………..………. 47 6. Suggestions……………………………………………….….. 50 7. References……………………………………………………..…..… 51 8. Appendices………………………………………………………….. 60 8 LIST OF TABLES Table (1): Effect of chicken manure and ammonium sulphate on growth parameters……...............................……… 31 Table (2): Effect of chicken manure and ammonium sulphate on number of stools per plant….................………. 37 Table (3): Effect of chicken manure and ammonium sulphate on leaf length……………..................………………… 39 9 LIST OF FIGURES Figure (1): Effect of combined and organic fertilizer on height (cm)…….................…………………………plant 32 Figure (2): Effect of combined and organic fertilizer on root length…………………………………...................… 33 Figure (3): Effect of combined and chicken manure on weight (g)……… ………………………..…..…......fresh 34 Figure (4): Effect of combined and organic fertilizer on dry weight (g)…………........................………………….. 36 10 LIST OF PLATES Plate (1): Control treatment of Lemon grass…........................... 21 Plate (2): Combine Fertilizer treatment of Lemon grass plants …. 22 Plate (3): Organic fertilizer treatment of lemon grass plants.......... 23 Plate (4): Lemon grass root and shoot (Control)……………...... 25 Plate (5): Lemon grass root and shoot (Combine)……............... 26 Plate (6): Lemon grass root and shoot (Organic)……….……… 27 Plate (7):Lemon grass oil from three fertilizer levels ………....... 29 11 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix (1): Soil and Chicken manure analysis……. 59 Appendix (2): Physio-chemical properties of lemon grass oil............................................................................. 60 Appendix (3): Properties of East Indian lemon grass oil……...................................................................................... 61 Appendix (4):Clevenger apparatus for volatile oil distillation................................................................................. 62 12 Chapter One Introduction Medicinal and aromatic plants well known since ancient civilizations: Egyptian (1992 B.C.), Indian, Chinese and Japanese; and still many people continue to handle those using primitive methods (Abuzid, 1992). Local herbal medicine around the world is partly attributable to the successes obtained in the People's Republic of China; by using traditional medicine side-by-side with modern medicine, as part of comprehensive health-care program in cities and communes (Ayensu, 1978). Sudan which characterized by vast arable land, available resources and diversification of climate is regarded as one of the richest country. Sudan flora provide different source for variable natural products. Active ingredients obtained from medicinal and aromatic plants either wild or cultivated. Can be used such potential exploited to meet the demand for those natural products either locally and internationally. Medicinal and aromatic plants can be considered as one of the most important plants; especially because their export value (20 % of the total export during 1987). In addition to foreign currency, the Sudan can become self dependent in the pharmaceutical, perfumeries, confectioneries 13 and allied industries as well as being able to supply the foreign markets with finished or semi-finished products. This study was carried out on one of the medicinally important Graminae (Poaceae) plants namely Cymbopogon citratus.