The general agrotechnical characterization of fennel was done mainly in four areas: Growth rates – the earlier and simultaneous seed formation resulted in obtaining a high quality production with minimum loss of harvest. Of the observed plants 64% meet these requirements. The seed yield per plant is the most important indicator characterizing the economic qualities of the selected specimen. In the observed plants it varied over 7 times- from 13.6 to 97.2 g / plant. The essential oil content in seeds is a major quality indicator for fennel. The tested samples have a variation of nearly three times – from 2.1 to 6.1 percent. The content of anethole and fenchone in essential oil are conclusive indicators that show the viability of the observed samples. The discovery of plants with high levels of the undesirable constituent fenchone of 11-17% points to the hybrid nature of the observed samples. In the seminal progeny of successfully wintered plants there is one with economic indicators exceeding those of the Shumen variety, as a seed yield of 97.2 g /plant, essential oil content 6.2%, fenchone 0.99%, anethole 86%. These, however, cannot be sustainably inherited in the progeny.

Аgrobiological characterisitics of wintering forms of foeniculum vulgare L.

A. Dzhurmanski