ASSESSMENT OF CORIANDER (CORIANDER SATIVUM L.) CULTIVARS FOR YIELD AND YIELD-RELATED PARAMETERS UNDER THE AGROECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL BULGARIA

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is a valuable essential oil and spice crop, widely cultivated under various agroecological conditions due to its high economic importance.The optimal selection of cultivars is crucial for achieving high yields and good product quality, especially in the context of changing climatic conditions.The objective of this study was to assess the seed yield and its components, along with certain qualitative traits, of five coriander varieties -Yantar, Moroccan, Mesten Drebnoploden, Thringen, and Marino-cultivated under the agroecological conditions of south-central Bulgaria.A field experiment was conducted in region of Plovdiv from 2020 to 2022 on alluvial-meadow soil, following winter wheat as a preceding crop.The results showed that the variety Mesten Drebnoploden exhibited the highest plant height, averaging 81.9 cm, followed by Thringen at 72.6 cm.The cultivar Moroccan was distinguished by superior reproductive performance, recording averagely the highest number of umbels per plant (22.3), the highest number of seeds per plant ( 279), and the greatest seed weight per plant (1.19 g) average over the study period.Additionally, it had the highest mass per 1000 seeds and a test weight of 30.4 kg.The Moroccan variety also demonstrated the highest productivity, yielding 2137 kg/ha, while the Yantar variety had the lowest average yield for the period at 1454 kg/ha.Finally, the study revealed that both cultivar and growing conditions have a significant influence on the yield and yield components of coriander.These results highlight the importance of cultivar selection in maximizing coriander yield and quality under specific agroecological conditions.