Investigating the Effect of Chicken Manure and Potassium Sulfate on Yield and Biochemical Traits of Fenugreek Medicinal Plant

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Master's student, Department of Physiology of Medicinal Plants, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Birjand University, Birjand, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Birjand University, Birjand, Iran

3 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

10.22067/jhs.2024.85718.1307

Abstract

Introduction

The annual herb Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (Fabaceae) is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop. It is commonly known as Fenugreek and used as both a spice and medicinal plant. Fenugreek is used to treat many ailments due to the presence of various bioactive compounds, like apigenin, luteolin, orientin, quercetin, vitexin, isovitexin, saponins, amino acids, phenols, alkaloids, etc.

The integrated use of chemical fertilizers along with organic fertilizers is a sustainable approach for the efficient use of nutrients, which increases the efficiency of chemical fertilizers, improves the physical properties of the soil, and reduces the loss of nutrients. Chicken manure is one of the types of animal manure and a source of organic matter to strengthen all types of soil. In addition to having nutrients, it is one of the cheap fertilizers compared to common fertilizers in the production of crops, and it is richer in nitrogen than other animal fertilizers. Potassium also plays a major role in the growth and development of plants. Also, this element has a physiological role in plant health and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.



Materials and Methods

To investigate the effect of chicken manure and potassium sulfate on yield and biochemical traits of the fenugreek medicinal plant, factorial research was conducted in the form of randomized complete block design in three replications in the crop year 2021-2022. Experimental treatments included chicken manure at three levels (0, 1000, and 2000 kg/ha) and potassium sulfate at four levels (0, 1.5, 3, and 5 per thousand). To determine the seed yield after full ripening, the seeds were collected from one plant in each plot, weighed, and recorded. Arnon's method was used to measure the pigments in the leaves at the full flowering stage of the plant. To measure the amount of total phenolic compounds in the leaf using the Folin Cicalto method, antioxidant using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, total sugar using anthrone method, total flavonoid using aluminum chloride reagent method was used in the full flowering stage of the plant.



Results and Discussion

In the yield and biochemical traits of this experiment, it was observed that chicken manure caused a significant increase in yield and biochemical traits in all traits except the amount of sugar and antioxidant. The amount of antioxidant activity decreased with increasing levels of chicken manure and soluble sugar was not affected by this manure. Treatment of 2000 kg.h-1 chicken manure has the highest phenol with 10.793 mg/g dry weight, flavonoid with 4.475 mg/g dry weight, Chlorophyll a with 2.591 mg/g of fresh weight, Chlorophyll b with 3.055 mg/g of fresh weight, and seed yield with 1185.8 kg/ha. In the effect of Soluptas on biochemical traits, it was observed that all the traits, except phenol and antioxidant, had the highest levels at the level of three per thousand, which were not significantly different from the level of five per thousand. Treatment of 5 per thousand Soluptas also increased 28% seed yield, 13% soluble sugar, 20% phenol, 31% flavonoid, and 97% chlorophyll b. In the interaction effect in the treatment, it was observed that the highest amount of the two fertilizers had the highest amount of yield and biochemical traits, except for the antioxidant, whose activity level decreased with the increase of fertilizer levels. The results showed that the highest amount of soluble sugar in fenugreek leaves was related to the level of no chicken fertilization with Soluptas 5 per thousand at the rate of 21.53 mg/g dry weight. The highest levels of both treatments (2000 kg/ha of chicken manure and Soluptas 5 per thousand) caused an increase in grain yield (1396 kg.h-1), phenol (12.86 mg/g DW), and chlorophyll b (3.62 mg/g FW) compared to no fertilization (control level). The highest amount of chlorophyll a was related to the interaction of 2000 kg/ha of chicken manure and Soluptas 3 per thousand at the rate of 3.11 mg/g of fresh weight.



Conclusions

In general, it can be concluded that among the simple effects, the highest amount of traits was related to chicken manure, and among the investigated levels in two treatments, the level of 2000 chicken manure and 5 per thousand Soluptas is recommended to achieve a better product for the fenugreek plant.



Keywords: Soluptas, yield, phenol, chlorophyll, organic fertilizer

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 05 February 2024
  • Receive Date: 04 December 2023
  • Revise Date: 22 January 2024
  • Accept Date: 05 February 2024
  • First Publish Date: 05 February 2024