We can find the Floral Biology and Seed Production of Fennel Crop

1. SUBMITTED BY :-
PALAGULLA VENKATA MAHENDRA REDDY
M.Sc. (Ag) Seed Science and Technology
SAM HIGGINBOTTOM UNIVERSITY OFAGRICULTURE
TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCES. ALLAHABAD - 211007, U.P., INDIA
“FLORAL BIOLOGY AND SEED PRODUCTION OF FENNEL
THE ROYAL SPECIES”

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Taxonomic classification
 Botanical Description
 Floral Biology
 Seed Production of Fennel
 Economical Importance of Fennel

3. INTRODUCTION OF FENNEL CROP (SAUNF)
 Fennel is a Long day crop and Cultivated in Rabi Season in India.
 It is widely cultivated throughout the Temperate and Sub-tropical regions of
the world and native of Southern Europe and Mediterranean region.
 Fennel is a Perenial, Highly Aromatic and flavourable herb with various Medical
values.
 During the Thirteenth century in England, Fennel was considered as a Royal
spices and was served to kings with fruits.
 India is the top producer of Fennel Crop in the whole world.

4. TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION
 Kingdom :- Plantae
 Sub Kingdom :- Tracheobionta
 Superdivision :– Spermatophyta
 Division :– Magnoliophyta
 Class :- Magnoliopsida
 Order :– Apiales
 Family :– Apiaceae or Umbelliferae
 Genus :– Foeniculum
 Species :- Foeniculum vulgare
 Chromosome Number :– 2n= 22 (Diploid)

5. Crop Description
 Fennel has large number of varieties which are differing in size, odour and taste of
fruits. There are Two distinct Sub-species in fennel as below:-
A. Piperitum : It grows as a wild form found in the Mediterranean region.
B. Capillaceum : It is widely cultivated species and consists of 3 varieties:
1. Foeniculum vulgare var. azorium: It is Commonly referred as Florence
fennel and is widely cultivated in Italy as a vegetable.
2. Foeniculum vulgare var. Dulce: It is Commonly known as Sweet fennel,
French fennel and Roman fennel and cultivated for its aromatic grain having
sweet oil (yellowish green liquid).
3. Foeniculum vulgare var. Vulgare: It is Commonly known as Bitter
fennel and cultivated for its aromatic grains having bitter oil.

6. Habitat:-
 The Plants are Annual/Biennial/Perennial aromatic
herbs.
 It Grows to a height of 150-180 cm.
Stem:-
 The Stem is Erect, Stout, Cylindrical, smooth and hollow
at maturity with distinct veins.
 Each Main stem bears 4 to 8 alternate branches.
Leaves:-
 Leaves are Alternate, stalked, petiole (Very long)
Roots:-
 Tap root and Branched root system.
BOTANICAL DESCREPTION

7. FLORAL BIOLOGY OF FOENICULUM VULGARE
Inflorescence :-
 The Inflorescence of Fennel is referred as
Compound Umbel with subtended Involucre
of bracts and appears terminally on the plant.
 One Plant may produce 11 to 30 Umbels. Each
umbel may have 4 to 22 umbellate containing
4.0 to 7.0 florets per umbellate.
Schizocarp
Pedicel

8. Calyx:-
 Sepals are Five and are Gamosepalous (fused).
Corolla :-
 Petals are Five in number and are Polypetalous
(free).
 Petals are Brightly yellow in colour.
 Each Umbel has long stalk, slender, curved, often
unequal in lengths.

9. Androecium :-
 Androecium consists of Five stamens.
 The Anthers are Bilobed, Introrse, Dorsifixed.
 The Filaments are free. The Anthers splits longitudinal for
the dehiscence of anther.
Gynoecium:-
 Gynoecium is Bicarpellary, Syncarpous, Bilocular with
Epigynous (inferior ovary).
 The Pair of styles swells and spreads at the base forming
stylopodium (for attracting the bees).

10. Floral Diagram and Floral Formula

11. Flower:-
 Small, Yellow flowers are found in fennel.
 15-20 flowers are found in an umbel with long stalk.
 Flowers are Bisexual or Hermaprodite.
 A strict sequence of blooming is observed in Centrifugal manner (Inner to outer).
 First Umbel takes 84-90 days, while that of the last umbel takes 113-121 days for
opening after the date of sowing.
Pollination :- (Highly Cross Pollinated Crop)
 Flowers are Protentous and Hence highly cross pollinated.
 Both Wind and Insect pollinations are considered to be active.

12. SEED PRODUCTION OF FOENICULUM VULGARE

13. SELECTION OF AGRO-CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
 Fennel is A Cool season crop mainly grown during winter season. So A dry and
cold weather favours higher seed production.
 A Temperature of 15-20°C is the Optimum. The Optimum temperatures for seed
germination is 25-29°C.
 Above 25°C for extended period usually retards development and in early
growth may result premature flowering and may reduce the Seed yield.
 Crop is susceptible to frost injury at flowering stage.
 High Winds at the time of maturity can cause shattering and very hot winds at
flowering reduce seed setting.

14. SELECTION OF SEED PLOT
 The Plot Selected for Seed crop must be
free from Volunteer plants, weed plants and
have good soil texture and fertility.
 The soil of the seed plot should be
comparatively free from soil borne diseases
and insects pests.

Soil:-
 Well drained Loamy soil or Black or Sandy soil rich in organic matter is suitable for
fennel cultivation.
 However, Heavy soils are more desirable than light soils.
 A Neutral to slightly alkaline soil in the range PH 6.5-8.0 is preferable

15. Isolation of Seed Crop :-
 The Seed crop must be isolated from other nearby fields of the same crops and the
other contaminating crops as per requirement of the certification standards.
Preparation of Land :-
 The First Ploughing should be done by soil turning plough and afterward 2-3
ploughing should be done by cultivator or harrow.
 The Ploughed field should be made fine and leveled by planking. There should be
moisture in soil for good germination.
 Add FYM 10 t/ha before last ploughing.
 Form beds and channels.

16. SELECTION OF VARIETY
The Variety selected for Seed production must be carefully selected, should pocess
following Characters:-
 Disease resistance
 Earliness
 Seed quality
 Higher yielder
 Adapted to the agro-climatic conditions of the region.
 Source of getting the Seeds should be well known and should be of proper seed class.

17. Fruit :-
 Fruits are oblong with Persistent style.
 Fruit is considered as Cremocarp of Schizocarp type of fruit. It mean two one
seeded mericarps split along the carpophore.
Seed:- (Oblong or Curved in shape)
 Seed is Endospermic and Green to Gray in colour.

18. Normal Mature Seed
Endosperm
Embryo with Plumule and Radicle
Pericap removed Seed
SEED

19. SEED TREATMENTS
 Seed treatment is an important practice for control of seed and soil borne
diseases. So it is necessary to treat the Seeds.
 So before Sowing seed treatment with Bavistin or Captan or Thiram @
2.5g/kg seeds is done or Treat with Trichoderma @ 6.0 g/kg seed especially
for organic fennel production.
 Seed soaking in water for 6 to 8 hours before sowing is found to increase the
germination percentage (82%).

20. TIME OF PLANTING
 The Seed crops should invariably be sown at their normal planting time.
Depending upon the incidence of diseases and pests, some adjustments, could be
made, if necessary.

 The Sowing of Fennel may be done in both late Kharif and Rabi season .
 For Early fennel, Seed is sown in nursery in the month of June-July and 45-60
days of sowing in nursery. Seedlings of fennel should be planted in the main field.
 The First fort night of October is ideal for direct sowing of the fennel as main
season crops.
Season:
 
Hills: May - June
( Transplanted type)
 Plains: October - November

21. Seed Rate :-
 The Lower seed rates than usual for raising Fennel crop is desirable to
facilitate rouging operations and inspection of seed crops.
 For Direct sowing:- 9 – 12 kg/ha.
(not preferred for Seed Production)
 For Transplanting:- 3 – 4 kg/ha – Nursery area 100 sq.m.at a spacing of 60 x 30
cm
Thinning
:-
 In case of Direct sown crop thin 4 – 5 weeks old seedlings to aspacing of 25 – 30 cm
is done.
Depth of Sowing :-
 The Seeds are sown at depths of 1.5 to 2 cms.

22. Spacing :-
 Row spacing of 60 cm in heavy soils and 45 cm in light soils are desirable to
obtain better seed yield.
Roughing :-
 Removal of Offtypes, diseases plants, unwanted plants of other crops etc from
seed crop is referred as Roughing.
 The Adequate and timely field inspections are to be done to maintain The purity
of seed crop.
 Rouging in fennel may be done at the following stages as per needs :-
1. Vegetative / Pre-flowering stage
2. 
Flowering stage

3. Maturity stage

23.  For Good production of fennel, About 15 tonnes/hac well decomposed FYM
should be applied at least 3-4 weeks before sowing.
 In the early growth, stage of fennel if plant seems week, then spray 1% urea on
the crop 3 weeks after sowing.
MANURES AND FERTILIZERS
Time of
Application
N (Kg/hac) P (Kg/hac) K (Kg/hac)
Top Dressing 25 10 0
Basal Dressing 25 0 0

24. CRITICAL STAGES OF IRRIGATION
 Fennel crop requires more number of irrigation due
to longer duration of the crop.
 Depending up on the temperatures and type of soil
6-8 irrigation during growth period is needed. The
irrigation interval should be kept 15-20 days.
 Immediately after transplanting irrigation should be
given.
 In direct sowing seed crop light irrigation is given
immediately after sowing if initial moisture is low.
 Irrigation at 4 days interval with pressurized and
low pressure drip have been found very effective.

25.  The Fennel crop growth is slow for first 50 days. Therefore, It is prone to
severe weed crop competition.
 To harvest good yield it is necessary to keep crop weed free. About 2 to 3
weeding and hoeing is required.
 Pre-emergence application of Oxadiargyl @ 75 /hac with one hand
weeding at 45 DAS has been very effective for ensuring effective weed
control of the fennel crop.

 Two or three weedings are necessary. The plants are earthed up after 3
months. Pre-emergent application of Pendimethalin @ 1 kg a.i./ha and one
hand weeding.
INTERCULTURAL OPERATIONS

26. MAJOR DISEASE AND PEST CONTROL
Name Symptoms Control
Leaf blight
Angular Brown Necrotic spots first
appear on older leaves. Later Linear
rectangular spots cover the whole stem,
peduncle and fruits.
Foliar Spraying of
0.2% Dithane M-45 or
0.1 % Propiconazole
repeated in 15 days
intervel
Powdery
Mildew
The Powdery fungal growth usually
develops first on leaves which later can
cover all succulent stems and branches
including flowers
Dusting of Sulphur
@20-25 kg/ha or
Foliar spraying
Wettable sulphur 2
gm/lit at the time of
appearence of disease
Aphids
Signs of damage are leaves not opening
properly and being smaller in size.
Severe infestation can cause shoots to
wilt and dry out
Foliar spraying with
0.03.% Dimethoate
(30 EC) or 0.025%
Thiamethoxam is
effective

27. HARVESTING
 The Fennel Crop matures in 170 to 180 days.
 Harvest the umbels 4 - 5 times at 10 - 15 days intervals because the all
fruits does not mature at a time., dry in sun for 4 - 5 days and seeds are
threshed.
 Umbels are Plucked when fruits have changed their colour from green to
yellow and are fully mature.
 For Green fennel, Umbels are harvested about 30-40 days after flowering when
these are still green and have attained half length size.

28. SEED YIELD ( Kg/hec or Qt/hec )
 An Average yields of 12 to 13 qt/ha can be harvested.

29. DRYING AND STORAGE OF SEEDS
 Harvested Umbels should be dried in shade under well aerated conditions
particularly for green fennel.
 Umbels should never be piled as it may deteriorate the quality. The dried
umbel are separated and cleaned by winnowing.
 The Proper care should be taken to prevent the Mechanical deterioration
during handling of seeds.
 After Drying, Seeds should be Stored in Gunny or cloth bags in Storage unit.

30. VARIETIES
Gujarat :
 PF-35
 Gujarat Fennel-1
 Gujarat Fennel-2
 Gujarat Fennel-11 and
 Gujarat Fennel-S-7-9
Tamil Nadu :
 Co-1
Haryana :
 Hisar Swarup
Rajasthan :
 Ajmer fennel -1
 RF-101
 RF-125 and
 RF-143

31. ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE OF CROP
 Fennel is mainly cultivated for its seed which has a pleasing fragrance and
aromatic taste.
 The Seeds act as stimulants and are carminative. They are used to aid diseases
like cholera, nervous disorder, cough and cold, constipation, dysentery and
diarrhea.
 The Essential oil in Fennel is in a range of 1.5 – 6.5 percent, yellowish green
liquid, which having main constituents are 50-60 percent, anithole and 10-25
percent fenchone
 These Essential oil of fennel has been use for treating Post menopausal
syndrome (PMS) and regulates menstrual period.
 Owing to antimicrobial properties it is used in cosmetic creams, body lotions
and moisturizers.

32. THE END
Mahendra Reddy