Document Type : Original Research Article
Authors
Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt
Abstract
This study was carried out at the Experimental Farm and in the Laboratories of Horticulture Departments, Faculty of Agriculture at Moshtohor, Benha Univ., during 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of improving growth, seeds yield, oil productivity and fixed oil constituents of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) plants by some safety growth stimulants treatments i.e. chitosan, ascobien, humic and glutamic acids and micronutrients zinc (Zn) i.e., control (tap water), 100 and 200 ppm, as well as their combinations. Plants were sprayed with safety growth stimulants gave the significantly highest mean values for all studied characteristics i.e., plant height, number of branches per plant, plant fresh and dry weights, seeds yield/plant, weight of 1000 seeds, chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, N, P, K, total carbohydrates, fixed oil percentage, and fatty acids determination of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) plants, with superior for humic acid at 5 ml/l followed by glutamic acid at 200 ppm in the first and second seasons. Meanwhile, ascobien at 200 ppm ranked the third values in this concern. Irrespective of control plants the lowest values of these parameters were scored by chitosan at 5 g/l in the 1st and 2nd seasons. As for zinc concentration treatments, there was appositive relationship between the values of abovementioned parameters and zinc concentration, hence as the concentration of zinc increased the values of these parameters increased till reached the highest increases at the highest concentration (200 ppm) in the two seasons. Furthermore, the combination of humic acid at 5ml/l showed to be the most effective one for inducing the highest values of these parameters especially those sprayed with the highest concentration of zinc (200 ppm). Chromatography analysis of chia fixed oil revealed the identification of seven components. The main component was α-linolenic acid (37.28 to 39.72%). The major components were α-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid and palmitic acid. It can be concluded that humic acid at 5 m/l with Zn at 200 ppm was the best treatment for improving growth, seeds yield, fixed oil productivity, chemical constituents and fixed oil components of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) plant.
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