Antioxidant Content and Yield of Cabbage as Influenced by Organics and Inorganics on an Alfisol

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Date
2015
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PROFESSOR JAYASHANKAR TELANGANA STATE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD
Abstract
A field investigation entitled “Antioxidant Content and Yield of Cabbage as Influenced by Organics and Inorganics on an Alfisol” was conducted at College Farm and laboratory analysis of the samples obtained from the field at the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during the year 2014- 15. The objectives of the experiment are to study the effect of inorganics and organics on the antioxidant content, drymatter and head yields, nutrients content and uptake of cabbage, microbial populations of the rhizosphere and soil fertility status. The experiment was carried out with seven treatments in a Randomized Block Design comprising of three factors replicated thrice having cabbage as the test crop. The treatments are two levels of fertilizers (100% and 75% RDF), two levels of humic acid (0 and 30 kg ha-1) and three organic sprays viz., salicylic acid, ascorbic acid and humic acid of them the first two are antioxidants. Humic acid when applied at 30 kg ha-1, showed a significant increase in the drymatter to 2.4 t ha-1 against 1.93 t ha-1 without humic acid. Reduced level of fertilizers when applied in conjunction with humic acid resulted in comparable nutrient contents of the plant. Soil application of humic acid coupled with foliar applied humic acid fared well in increasing nutrient contents in plant. Application of humic acid and foliar spray of organics also significantly improved the nutrient content and uptake by plant. The available N, P2O5 and K2O of soil were 292, 69.5 and 297 kg ha-1 with 100% RDF and 285, 54.8 and 291 kg ha-1 with humic acid. Available P present in the soil at 45 DAP when humic acid was applied in integration was significantly higher with reduced level of 75% RDF i.e., 81.0 kg ha-1 against 64.4 kg ha-1 with 100% RDF alone. Humic acid when applied at 30 kg ha-1showed significant effect on bacterial and fungal population of 59 x 105 CFU g-1 soil and 22x 104 CFU g-1 soil respectively. Salicylic acid encouraged the formation of fungal colonies while ascorbic acid bacterial colonies. Drymatter yield was not influenced by levels of fertilizers. Humic acid when applied at 30 kg ha-1, showed a significant mean drymatter of 2.4 t ha-1. Application of 100% RDF resulted in a significantly higher yield of 32.8 t ha-1, which was 16 per cent higher than the yield of 28.4 t ha-1 obtained due to 75% RDF. The yield, nutrient contents and uptakes realized by 100% RDF can be almost achieved at a reduced level (75%) of fertilizers by integrating with soil application of humic acid @ 30 kg ha-1 and foliar application of organics. Individual application of inorganic fertilizers at 75% RDF across humic acid and organic sprays contained a higher mean TFC of 12.30 μg rutin g-1 fw. Humic acid also showed significantly higher mean TFC of 12.82 μg rutin g-1 fw., mean TPC of 30.33 μg of pyrocatechol g-1 fw. Foliar application of humic acid was found to increase mean TPC to 30.72 μg of pyrocatechol g-1 fw. Salicylic showed higher mean TAC of 9.86 μg AAE mg-1. The DPPH (%), the radical scavenging capacity, was significantly higher for 75% RDF i.e., 66.2. Among the three organic sprays, salicylic was significant and showed a DPPH of 67 per cent and reducing power of 0.71 while it was on par with humic acid. From the above investigations, it was understood that at higher dose of fertilisers (100% RDF), the antioxidant contents (TPC, TFC) and antioxidant capacity, radical scavenging power and reducing power were much lower as compared to the reduced level of fertilisers. While, in respect of drymatter yield there was no significant difference amongst the levels of fertilisers. The nutrient contents and uptakes realized by 100% RDF can be almost achieved at a reduced level (75%) of fertilisers by integrating with soil application of humic acid @ 30 kg ha-1 and foliar application of organics.
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acidity, organic acids, fertilizers, planting, cabbages, antioxidants, yields, vitamins, organic acid salts, nutrients
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