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

علوم باغبانی

Article 10, Volume 38, Issue 2 - Serial Number 62, June 2024, Pages 393-406   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jhs.2024.85718.1307

Authors

M. H. Aminifard^{* 1}; S. Nadafan²; H. Bayat³; M. Jahani⁴

¹Department of Horticultural Sciences and Regional Plant Research Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Birjand University, Birjand, Iran

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

³Birjand

⁴Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Birjand University, Iran

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. Combining chemical and organic fertilizers offers a sustainable approach to nutrient management. This integrated strategy enhances the effectiveness of chemical fertilizers, fosters improved soil health, and minimizes nutrient loss from the system.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 is a critical element for plant growth and development, playing a vital physiological role in plant health and resilience against 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^-1) 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
This experiment revealed that chicken manure significantly boosted crop yield and improved most biochemical traits, with the exception of sugar and antioxidant content.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^-1 dry weight, flavonoid with 4.475 mg.g^-1 dry weight, Chlorophyll a with 2.591 mg.g^-1 of fresh weight, Chlorophyll b with 3.055 mg.g^-1 of fresh weight, and seed yield with 1185.8 kg.h^-1. Regarding the impact of Soluptas on biochemical traits, all except phenol and antioxidant content peaked at a concentration of three parts per thousand. Notably, these peak levels were statistically indistinguishable from those observed at five parts 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^-1 dry weight. The highest levels of both treatments (2000 kg.h^-1 of chicken manure and Soluptas 5 per thousand) caused an increase in grain yield (1396 kg.h^-1), phenol (12.86 mg.g^-1 DW), and chlorophyll b (3.62 mg.g^-1 FW) compared to no fertilization (control level). The highest amount of chlorophyll a was related to the interaction of 2000 kg.h^-1of chicken manure and Soluptas 3 per thousand at the rate of 3.11 mg.g^-1 of fresh weight.
 
Conclusion
Overall, chicken manure exhibited the strongest positive influence on the greatest number of traits among the single treatments. When considering the combined effects, a combination of 2000 parts per thousand chicken manure and 5 parts per thousand Soluptas appears to be optimal for enhancing the fenugreek plant's properties.
 

Keywords

Chlorophyll; Organic fertilizer; Phenol; Soluptas; Yield

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