Optimizing bio-chemical fertilizer treatments for quantitative and qualitative traits of Artemisia annua L. using graphical analysis

Purpose: Artemisia annua L., a medicinal herb of significant importance due to its high artemisinin content, a potent antimalarial compound. This study aimed to investigate the influence of various bio-chemical fertilizer combinations on the growth characteristics and artemisinin content of Artemisia annua L. Graphical analysis techniques were employed to visualize and optimize fertilizer treatments for achieving the desired balance between quantitative (biomass) and qualitative (artemisinin content) traits. Research Method: This experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment with a basic randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications in a research greenhouse. The main factors in this experiment included the application of bio-fertilizers (control, nitroxin, bio-phosphorus, and vermicompost), and the sub-factor consisted of four levels of chemical phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) fertilizers (0, N40 P40, N80 P40, and N80 P80). Findings: The results of the combined analysis for all traits revealed significant effects of bio-fertilizer and chemical fertilizer at the 5% and 1% probability levels, respectively. The interaction of treatments also exhibited significant differences for most traits. Mean comparison using LSD showed that vermicompost and N80P80 treatments were superior to other treatments. Correlation analysis revealed a positive and significant correlation between the traits, as evidenced by the correlation coefficients and correlation charts. Graphical analysis identified treatments Vermicompost + N80P80 and Nitroxin + N80P80 as optimal based on trait desirability. The results of the focused scatter plot analysis further confirmed Vermicompost + N80P80 as the most favorable treatment. The findings revealed a strong correlation among the evaluated traits. Research limitations: There was no limitation. Originality/Value: Treatments Vermicompost + N80P80 and Nitroxin + N80P80 emerged as the most favorable options based on the assessed traits, demonstrating remarkable efficacy in augmenting artemisinin levels.