The Effect of Repeated Cutting and Sowing Date on Herbage and Seed Yield of Azivash (Corchorus olitorius L.), an Edible and Medicinal Plant, in the Gorgan

Background: Azivash (Corchorus olitorius L.) is an edible and medicinal plant that can be cooked either fresh or dried. It is cultivated in different regions including Asia and Africa. In the cultivation of wild okra, the possibility of obtaining herbage yield for fresh leaf consumption without negative consequence on seed yield can provide an alternative economic return. In addition, selecting a suitable sowing date to achieve the highest seed yield, can help seed producers maximize their yield per unit of land area during seed production.Methods: To determine the effect of repeated cutting and sowing date on herbage and seed yield of Azivash (Corchorus olitorius L.), an experiment was conducted using a split-plot design based on a randomized complete block design with three sowing dates as the main plots, and three cutting treatments as sub-plots.Results: The sowing date and repeated cutting had a significant effect on herbage yield, pod number per plant, seed number per pod, pod length, pod dry weight, and seed yield. In general, the treatment of not cutting (Control) on June 9th sowing date produced the highest seed yield (2,895 kg/ha). Conversely, the treatment of cutting twice on July 9th sowing date had the lowest seed yield (290 kg/ha).Conclusion: Based on the results, it appears that the most suitable sowing date for achieving a seed yield of 2895 kg/ha is June 9th. However, if producers aim for higher income from agricultural land through dual-purpose herbage and seed production, sowing on June 9th with once cutting would result in a herbage yield of 33,467 kg/ha and a seed yield of 2,630 kg/ha in Gorgan region.