EFFECTS OF WEED CONTROL ON SEED YIELD AND FATTY OIL RATIO OF BLACK CUMIN (Nigella sativa L.)

Nigella sativa, also known as black cumin, is one of the medicinal plants, its seeds show a wide therapeutic potential, and they are used as spice in different kind of foods. The effects of different herbicides on yield and some yield components of Cameli Black cumin cultivar under Adana ecological conditions were investigated in this experiment that conducted between 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 growing seasons in the Research and Application Area of Field Crops Department of Agricultural Faculty of Cukurova University. Three different herbicides were applied in nine different applications. Plant height, number of branches, number of capsules in the plant, seed yield and oil ratio differed according to application periods. The highest seed yield was obtained from the treatment of hand hoeing. Malondialdehyde and proline analysis were performed to detect oxidative stress and it was found that hand hoeing caused less stress in plants compared to other treatments. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that hand hoeing instead of herbicide application for the control of weeds in black cumin is more appropriate for yield and ecological perspective.