Cultivation of Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) with Different Row Arrangements

Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) is an annual plant from the Umbelliferae. Although in cookery also sprouts and tender leaves are used, the drug from dill is represented by the scented fruits ("seeds"), largely used for flavouring conserved foods and liqueurs, but also by the herbal and cosmetic industry. In this work, we present the results of a trial performed in Sicily, putting under comparison four different row arrangements: CR30 (continuous rows 30 cm apart), CR60 (continuous rows 60 cm apart), CR90 (continuous rows 90 cm apart) and TR (twin rows with a distance of 30 cm inside and 60 cm between twin rows). The plant population on the row (12 plants m(-1)) was constant and according the row distances, the plant density per unit area changed consequently to 40, 20, 13.3 and 26.6 plants m(-2), respectively. The results showed that, in terms of seeds yield, the best row distance was the narrowest (CR30), in which more than 2 t ha(-1) of seeds were measured.