Effect of cysteine, ascorbic acid and libero fertilizer on the growth and yield of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)

Introduction

The Cruciferae family includes: Brassicaceae has many important vegetable crops, among which is broccoli. The scientific name of broccoli is (Brassica oleracea var. Italica), and it is an annual herbaceous plant, native to the Mediterranean region (Al-Sayed, 2009) [24] . It was first cultivated in England in 1720 AD, then moved to the United States of America in 1806 AD. This plant is cultivated for its flowers, which are eaten at the stage of green flower buds with thick, soft buds. Broccoli is considered one of the most profitable crops in this family in terms of nutritional value, and it is the most used in medicine, as it contains many vitamins and minerals (Thapa, 2012) [28] . It is also rich in profen and beta-carotene, and its leaves are considered a source of polyphenols, fats and fibers. Broccoli is an important vegetable crop known for its economic value, and is part of the Brassicaceae (Broccoli is rich in nutrients, containing abundant amounts of vitamins A, E, B1, B2, B5, and B6, as well as essential minerals such as magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn Weber, 2017) [29] . In addition, it is known for its high content of carotenoids and antioxidants, which enhance its nutritional value. Therefore, it is considered a good healthy food (Rodriguez-Casado, 2016) [23] . In Iraq, 989 hectares of broccoli and cauliflower were cultivated, producing 7,187 tons and 7.2669 tons per hectare of productivity (FAO, 2019) [12] .

Vegetative growth is improved in various ways, one of the most important is the use of organic fertilizer systems that are based on natural ingredients, as these systems are considered an effective means of improving the physical, chemical and biological quality of the soil. One of the available alternatives to organic fertilizers that can contribute to reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers is liquid organic fertilizers. These fertilizers contain nutrients and biological microbes that are beneficial to plant growth (Martínez-Alcántara et al., 2016) [16] . Studies have shown that vegetative growth, productivity and nutrient content in broccoli plants are positively affected by liquid organic fertilizers. Specialists have become increasingly interested in producing and improving vegetable crops through the use of the best breeding methods. Many researchers have also moved towards encouraging and supporting organic production, which is characterized by low nitrate and oxalate content so that it does not exceed healthy limits, in addition to achieving high economic production, especially in developed countries (Abu Rayan, 2010 and AL-Bayati et al., 2019) [4,5] . Recent studies have focused on reducing the amounts of mineral fertilizers added by using methods that enhance their availability in the soil and their ability to regenerate. Humic acid increases the availability of nutrients to the plant, and enhances the absorption of potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Humic acid also partially contributes to reducing the negative impact resulting from the addition of mineral fertilizers to the soil (Singer et al., 1998) [27] . Humic acid is a complex, hydrophilic, darkcolored organic chemical compound that comes in either liquid or powder form. Its chemical formula is (2)(3)C7H33017N3 (COOH), and it contains carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen in varying proportions, resulting in compounds with various molecular weights (Sensei, 1992) [25] . Confirmed Issawi-Al et al. (2021) [7] in an experiment conducted on broccoli plants showed that adding 0.25 mg of humic acid to the soil achieved significant differences in vegetative, chemical and yield characteristics. It recorded the highest significant value in plant height, reaching 32.639 cm, compared to the comparison treatment, which was 29.097 cm, and the highest head weight, reaching 246.5 g, compared to the comparison treatment, which was 116.0 g. It also achieved the highest total yield, reaching 8.215 tons per hectare, compared to the comparison treatment, which was 3.865 tons per hectare. It also recorded the highest percentage of sprouting in discs, reaching 5541%, compared to the comparison treatment, which was 3.201%. It also gave the highest annual percentage of falcons in discs, reaching 0.3816%, while the comparison treatment was 0.1459%. The highest percentage of potassium was recorded in the tablets, which amounted to 3.611%, compared to the control treatment, which was 1.973%. Cysteine serves as a precursor to many essential biomolecules, such as vitamins and cofactors (Mohamed, 2012) [19] and antioxidants such as glutathione, which plays a crucial role in cellular redox balance and the synthesis of many defense compounds [Hell, 2008] [14] . All of these biomolecules contain sulfur groups that act as functional groups and are derived from cysteine in plants. Cysteine synthesis plays a key role in the fixation of inorganic sulfur from the environment, and is the sole source of sulfide required for the formation of methionine, glutathione, phytochelatin, iron sulfide clusters, vitamin cofactors, and multiple secondary metabolites. In a study conducted by Shekari and Javanmardi (2017) [26] reported on the effect of foliar fertilization with cysteine, methionine and amino acid (AA) on broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) seedlings. Cysteine, methionine and amino acid (AA) were applied at three concentrations: 0, 100 and 200 mg/L, starting from 20 days after planting. The physicochemical characteristics of the seedlings were measured according to the methods described by Tabatabaei. The results showed that cysteine at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/L increased leaf area by 53% and 48%, respectively, and increased fresh weight of shoots by 50% and 55%, respectively. L-cysteine at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/L increased dry weight of roots by 26% and 60%. Ascorbic acid is a growth promoter that affects physiological and metabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, nucleic acids and enzymes. It has antioxidant properties, is water soluble, and plays an important protective role against reactive oxygen species that are formed during metabolism. My light and breathing Abdul Rahman et al. 2012 and El-Khattab, 2019) [2,11] . Metwally pointed out (Metwaly and El-Shatoury (2017) [17] found that foliar spraying with ascorbic acid on cabbage plants resulted in a significant increase in plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll content, yield, and vitamin C concentration. Osman and Rady (2018) [21] also found that foliar spraying with ascorbic acid on broccoli plants in both seasons resulted in a significant increase in leaf area, yield, and vitamin C concentration. Indicated that immersing flower heads in ascorbic acid resulted in a significant increase in shelf life, vitamin C concentration, chlorophyll content, and total dissolved solids, and recorded the least weight loss, and these results are consistent with Bilgin (2021) [8] .

Materials and Methods

The field experiment was conducted during the planting season. A 2024-2025 in Al-Ezz area Oh It is affiliated with Al-Mahawil District, which is located 40 km north of the city center of Hillah. (governorate Babylon). This is because Head The effect of cysteine, ascorbic acid and organic fertilizer on the growth and yield of broccoli. The variety (max) The field soil designated for implementing the experiment was prepared by cleaning it from the remains of the previous crop. After that, it was ploughed, smoothed and leveled in a homogeneous manner. Then, the land was divided into three replicates, so that each replicate included 12 experimental units. The replicate contained two terraces. Show all1m platform with a distance of 1m between each platform and 50 cm between the experimental units as an insulator to prevent mixing between the parameters no T, and between one plant and another 50 cm, and then the drip irrigation system was installed. The soil texture was a mixture of silty and clayey. Acids And pH (8) and its electrical conductivity EC (4.5) Decisiemens m-1, and the percentage of organic matter in it 11.3%. The seeds were planted on 10/8/2024 For the purpose of seedling production, the experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design. RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design), the experiment involved the use of two factors.

The first factor: the amino acid cysteine, ascorbic acid and the interaction between them Four levels It is done by spraying the plants until they are completely wet, with three sprays depending on the growth stages. The height of the plant was measured from the point of contact with the soil to the highest leaf of the plant selected for the experimental unit using a measuring tape, and the average was extracted.

Number of leaves (leaf)

The total number of leaves for each of the selected plants in the experimental unit was counted during the flower disc maturity stage, and the average was extracted.

Paper space (Dcm² per plant)

Leaf area was assessed by taking six full-width leaves from each experimental unit containing five plants, using a scanner and software. Images, according to the method used and the average was calculated.

Chlorophyll content in leaves. (amalgam 100 GM -1 fresh weight)

Total chlorophyll content in leaves was estimated by randomly sampling five plants per experimental unit. The samples were washed with water, air dried, and then weighed. It is fresh. 10 ml of 80% acetone was added to the fresh weight, and the paper tissue was crushed using a ceramic mortar. Then, the solution was filtered using filter paper (Wathrmann No. 1), and the crushing process was repeated again to extract the remaining dyes until the color of the fabric became white. The total volume of the filtrate was then supplemented with acetone to 20 ml and a spectrophotometer was used to measure the optical absorbance of the dyes at wavelengths of 645 and 663 nm. The total chlorophyll amount was then calculated using the following equation: The final extracted volume is 20 ml, and the weight of the paper tissue is 1 g.

Chlorophyll percentage in the flower disc

Total chlorophyll pigment estimation in Flower discs Random samples of five plants were taken from each experimental unit, then washed with water and air dried, then1Soft weight.

The diameter of mature flower discs was calculated by measuring the widest area of the disc surface of the selected plants and calculating the average.

The weight of mature flower discs from each experimental unit was calculated, and the average was calculated.

Results and Discussion

The results shown in Table No. (1) indicated that there were no significant differences between the foliar spray treatments with nutrients.

The table also showed that there were no significant differences between the land addition coefficients.

As for the interaction between the study factors, treatment 2 achieved T 3 L gave the highest value of 69.67 cm while the comparison treatment T 0 L0 recorded a height of 65.08 cm.

Number of leaves (1 leaf)

The results shown in Figure (2) showed significant differences between the foliar spray treatments in terms of the average number of leaves, as the treatment was T 3 achieved higher The value is 65.38 leaf-1, while the control treatment gave the lowest value.T 0 which recorded 52.60 leaf-1, The same table also shows that there are significant differences between the land addition treatments, as the treatment outperformedL2 had the highest value of 62.90 leaves per plant -1 , followed by treatment L1 which recorded the lowest number of 59.73 leaves per plant -1 , while the comparison treatment recorded the lowest value of 57.62 leaves per plant -1 . As shown in the table Significant differences between transactions Interference Among the study factors in the total number of leaves of the plant, the treatment was superior.T 3 L2 outperformed all other treatments by giving the best value of 71 leaves/plant -1 , while the comparison treatment To L0 had the lowest value of 52.60 leaves/plant -1 .

Paper area (ds 2 )

The results shown in Table (3) indicated that there were significant differences between the spraying treatments, as the treatment outperformedT 3 gave the highest value for leaf area per plant, reaching 2965 dm.plant -1 , while the comparison treatment recorded the lowest value, reaching 2002 dm2. The same table also showed significant differences between the land addition treatments, as the results showed that the treatment was superior.L2 gave the highest value of 3039 dm2, while the comparison treatment recorded the lowest leaf area of 2111 dm2. As for the interaction between the study factors, the treatment was superior. T 3 L2 significantly increased the value of 3842 dm2, while the comparison treatment To L0 recorded the lowest value of 2002 dm2.

The results shown in Table No. (4) showed: non There were significant differences between spraying and soil addition treatments in the chlorophyll ratio of broccoli. As for the interaction of the study factors, the treatment achieved T 3 L2 percentage reached 15.69 mg per 1 g-1 fresh weight in the total chlorophyll content of the leaves, while the chlorophyll percentage in the comparison treatment T 0 L0 reached 15.85 mg per 100 g-1 fresh weight. The results shown in Table (5) showed no significant differences between the spraying and soil addition treatments in the average percentage of chlorophyll in the flower disc of broccoli plants. As for the interaction between the study factors, the treatment was superior.T 3 L2 was significantly higher, giving the highest value of 16.38 (mg/gm fresh weight), while the comparison treatment To L0 recorded the lowest value of 13.15 (mg/gm fresh weight).

The results in Table No. (6) indicate that there are no significant differences between the spraying and soil addition treatments in the average flower diameter of broccoli plants. As for the interaction factors between the two study factors. The transaction has been completed. T 3 L2 measured 20.67 cm disc-1, while the control treatment T 0 L0 measured 19 cm disc-1.

The results in Table No. (7) indicate that there are no significant differences between the spraying and ground addition treatments in the rate of weight The village S Broccoli flower. As for the interaction between the study factors, the treatment was superior. T 3 L2 was significantly higher, giving the highest value of 576 g plant -1 , while the comparison treatment ToL0 recorded the lowest value of 450 g plant.

Table 7:

The effect of cysteine, ascorbic acid, organic fertilizer and their interaction on the weight of the flower disc (g plant -1 ).

Average

Conclusions

The increase in the vegetative growth indicators of broccoli, represented by the number of leaves, the total leaf area of the plant, and the diameter of the stem, may be attributed to:, Total chlorophyll content of leaves, Chlorophyll content of the floral disc In the forms (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) when dealing With cysteine, this is consistent with (Shekari and Javanmardi, (2017) [26] Ascorbic acid is a lion, and this is what he indicated. Ali,2023).Ascorbic acid is a growth promoter that affects physiological and metabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, nucleic acids and enzymes. It has antioxidant functions and is water soluble. It plays an important protective role against reactive oxygen species that are formed during photosynthesis and respiration (Abdul Rahman et al., 2012. The Khattab et al., 2019) [2,11] . And the sky Organic D and this is what he pointed out (Hilo et al., 2023) [15]

References

1. Al-Naimi SN. Fertilizers and soil fertility. Mosul: Dar Al-Kutub for Printing and Publishing, University of Mosul; 1999.
2. Abdul Rahman YA, Ali SF, Latar HS. Effect of sucrose and ascorbic acid concentrations on vase life of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) cut flowers. Int J Pure Appl Sci Technol. 2012;13(2):32-41.
3. Abdulrahman YA, Ali SF, Faizi HS. Effect of sucrose and ascorbic acid concentrations on vase life of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) cut flowers. Int J Pure Appl Sci Technol. 2012;13(2).
4. Abu Rayan AM. Organic agriculture: its specifications and importance in human health. Amman: University of Jordan, Faculty of Agriculture; 2010.
5. AL-Bayati HJ, Ibraheem FF, Allela WB, AL-Taey DKA. Role of organic and chemical fertilizer on growth and yield of two cultivars of pea (Pisum sativum L.). Plant Arch. 2019;19(Suppl 1):1249-1253.
6. Ali SM, Majeed BH. Effect of ascorbic acid and calcium foliar application on growth, yield, and marketability of broccoli. Iraqi J Agric Sci. 2023;54(5):1398-1406.
7. Al-Issawi KJ, Al-Dulaimi KH, Alkhateb BA. Role of humic acid and chemical fertilizer in NPK concentration, growth, and yield of broccoli under salinity conditions. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2021 Nov;910:012085.
8. Bilgin J. The effects of salicylic, folic, and ascorbic acid treatment on shelf-life quality of broccoli florets. J Agric Prod. 2021;2(1):7-15.
9. Branham S, Farnham M. Genomic resequencing of bulked heat-tolerant and susceptible broccoli segregants identifies new QTLs associated with tolerance. HortScience. 2018;53:S46.
10. El-Aggory EH, Nouri AK, Hussain T, Asker SI, Raban E. Nitrogen availability in Iraqi soils. Agric Res Rev. 1980;58(4):259-274.
11. El-Khattab EA, Housini EA, Khedr HH. Effect of some antioxidants (ascorbic acid, proline, and salicylic acid) on jojoba plants under the circumstances of Sinai. Iraqi J Agric Sci. 2019;50(4):1086-1093.
12. FAO. FAOSTAT agricultural data. Agricultural production crop [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2025 Jan 13].
13. Ghasemnezhad M. Effects of ascorbic acid in delaying florets senescence of broccoli during post-harvest storage. J Hortic Biol Environ. 2012;3:167-183.
14. Hell R, Dahl C, Knaff D, Leustek T, editors. Sulfur metabolism in phototrophic organisms. Biol Plant. 2008;53:538.
15. Hilo BR, Ali BAA, Jasim HM. Effect of foliar fertilization with humic acid and garlic extract on growth and yield of broccoli and its content of some secondary metabolites. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2023 Jul;1213:012020.
16. Martínez-Alcántara B, Martínez-Cuenca MR, Bermejo A, Legaz F, Quiñones A. Liquid organic fertilizers for sustainable agriculture: nutrient uptake of organic versus mineral fertilizers in citrus trees. PLoS One. 2016;11(10):e0161619.
17. Metwaly EE, El-Shatoury RS. An attempt to alleviate irrigation water deficit stress in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) by exogenous foliar application with some antioxidant. J Plant Prod Mansoura Univ. 2017;8(12):1315-1322.
18. Miller DR, Kenny DJ. Methods of soil analysis part 2. 2nd ed. Agronomy 9. Am Soc Agron, Madison, Wisconsin; 1982.
19. Mohamed E, Mohamed S. Improve the growth and quality of green onion (Allium cepa L.) plants by some bioregulators in the new reclaimed area at Nobaria region, Egypt. N Y Sci J. 2012;5:114-120.
20. Mohamed MHM, Zewail RMY. Alleviation of high temperature in cabbage plants grown in summer season using some nutrients, antioxidants, and amino acids as foliar application with cold water. J Plant Prod Mansoura Univ. 2016;7(4):433-441.
21. Osman AS, Wahed MHA, Rady MM. Ascorbic acid improves productivity, physio-biochemical attributes, and antioxidant activity of deficit-irrigated broccoli plants. J Sci Tech Res. 2018;11(1):8196-8205.
22. Piccolo A, Nardi S, Concheri G. Structural characteristics of humic substances as regulated to nitrate uptake and growth regulation in plant systems. Soil Biol Biochem. 1992;24:373-380.
23. Rodriguez-Casado A. The health potential of fruits and vegetables phytochemicals: notable examples. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016;56(7):1097-1107.
24. Sayed SF. Technology of warm-season vegetable production in desert lands. Egypt: Library Egyptian; 2009. p. 555.
25. Senesi N. Metal-humic substances complexes in the environment -molecular and mechanistic aspects by multiple spectroscopic approaches. New York: Lewis Pub Co; 1992.
26. Shakari G, Javanmardi J. Effect of foliar fertilization with pure amino acids and amino acid-containing fertilizers on broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) plants. Adv Crop Sci Tech. 2017;5(3). doi:10.4172/2329-8863.1000280.
27. Singer SM, Sawan OM, Abdel Mouty MM, Salman SR. Study of the effects of the Delta mix Tm and organic on growth and productivity of bean plants grown under calcareous soil conditions. Egypt J Hortic. 1998;25:35-47.
28. Thapa U, Rair R. Evaluation of sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italic) genotypes for growth, yield, and quality. Int J Agric Sci. 2012;4(7):284-286.
29. Weber CF. Broccoli microgreens: a mineral-rich crop that can diversify food systems. Front Nutr. 2017;4(7):1-9. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00007.