effect of organic fertilizers on quality and quantity characteristics of blond psyllium (plantago ovata forssk.) clasping peperweed (lepidium perfoilatum l.), qodumeh shirazi (alyssum homolocarpum l.) and dragon's head (lalementia iberica l.)

this experiment was carried out in experimental farm of agricultural faculty of ferdowsi university of mashhad, iran during 2010. the design was split plot with three replications. main plots were the medicinal plant species consist of: blond psyllium (plantago ovate forssk.), clasping peperweed (lepidium perfoilatum l.), qodumeh shirazi (alyssum homolocarpum l.) dragon's head (lalementia iberica l.) and subplots were various organic fertilizer consist of cow manure, vermicompost (based on cow manure), coffee compost and spent mushroom compost. results showed that medicinal plants had significant difference for number of seeds per plant, shoot dry matter, seed yield, plant height and mucilage percentage. effect of various organic matter on all traits except for 1000-seed weight was significant. interaction of organic fertilizers and plant was significant for dry matter. lalementia had the most mucilage percentage (27.75%) and cow manure was the best fertilizer because it had the highest amounts of dry matter (1816 kg.ha-1), seed yield (467.5 kg.ha-1), number seed per plant (550 seeds.plant-1), plant height (23.17 cm) and mucilage percentage (20.75%).