Evaluation of Environmental Variation of <i>Onopordum acanthium L.</i> for Five Regions of Western Iraq (Physico-Chemical Comparison)

Abstract A field study was conducted in Anbar Governorate during the year 2024 to study the effect of environmental diversity on the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil of the cotton thistle plant in five regions: (Al-Qarmah, Fallujah, Ramadi, Hit, and Al-Qaim). Random samples were taken from the soil surrounding the root area of the cotton thistle plant. In terms of physical properties, the results showed that there was a significant superiority for the Al-Qarmah region, with the highest average of 2.184 ds\m and 1397.76 ppm for both the degree of electrical conductivity and the content of total dissolved solids compared to the Ramadi region, which gave the lowest average for the two characteristics, while the Ramadi region excelled by providing the highest average in In contrast, the soil basicity score of 8.18 gave the vine the lowest average. As for the chemical characteristics, the results showed that the Ramadi region had the highest average content of chemical elements for N, P, P 2 O 5 and PO 4 . The averages reached 1.84, 23.52 and 69 mg/L, respectively, which was reflected in the superiority of the root total characteristic, while it was significantly superior. Al-Qarmah region, in terms of Na, Mg and Ca content, reached 385 mg/L, 30 and 32 mEq/L, respectively. In comparison, Al-Qaim excelled in potassium concentration with an average of 14.6 mg/L, and the Hit region had the lowest average content of all elements except Mg and Ca.