Effect of organic biostimulants on the growth and biochemical composition of Amaranthus hybridus L
2019
Ngoroyemoto, N. | Gupta, S. | Kulkarni, M.G. | Finnie, J.F. | Van Staden, J.
Despite its high level of both plant and animal biodiversity, South Africa has not been spared from the scourge of malnutrition, poor health, hunger and even starvation, particularly in rural communities. There are appeals for increased consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables which have been generally neglected and underutilised by modern agricultural systems. These vegetables are cheap and rich in nutrients and contain many beneficial health-promoting compounds. Amaranthus hybridus L. is one of such indigenous leafy vegetables rediscovered as a promising food crop mainly due to its superior nutritional value of both seeds and leaves. However, critical information on its improvement and commercial cultivation is still scanty. The present research was targeted at promoting the commercial cultivation of A. hybridus by evaluating the effects of some natural biostimulants such as smoke-water (SW), karrikinolide (KAR1), vermicompost leachate (VCL), Kelpak® (KEL) and eckol (ECK) on seed germination, growth, nutrition and phytochemical levels under different modes of application (drenching, foliar spray and combined drenching and foliar spray). SW (1:500 v/v), KAR1 (10−6 M), VCL (1:5 v/v) and KEL (0.8%) showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in shoot/root length, shoot fresh/dry weight, number of leaves, total leaf area and stem thickness compared with the control. Plant fresh and dry weights were significantly influenced by all the tested biostimulants. Significant increases in protein, carbohydrate and chlorophyll content were recorded in plants treated with foliar treatments of VCL, KEL, KAR1 and ECK. Such biostimulants should be considered as a worthwhile production strategy for achieving viable and superior yields of the nutritionally valuable but neglected and underutilised indigenous leafy vegetable (morogo/imifino) Amaranthus hybridus in South Africa.
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