Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Department of Field Crops and Medicinal Plants, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, Salahaddin University , Erbil-Iraq
Abstract
This study aimed to assess how various pinching schedules and gibberellin (GA) treatments affect carotenoid and chlorophyll levels in fenugreek at two different sites, Ankawa (AK) and Grdarash (GR), along with evaluating pigment absorption properties. The experiment was conducted in both locations using four pinching treatments: no pinching (P0), pinching once at 30 days after sowing (DAS) (P1), at 45 DAS (P2), and twice at 30 and 45 DAS (P3). Gibberellin was applied at 25, 45, and 65 DAS in concentrations of 100, 200, and 300 ppm (G1, G2, and G3), in addition to a control with no application (G0). Key findings revealed that gibberellin levels and pinching at 45 DAS (P2) significantly affected absorbance at 665 nm in AK (P < 0.05), while absorbance at 649 nm was notably influenced by gibberellin concentrations in GR. Additionally, gibberellin treatments in AK significantly enhanced absorbance at 470 nm. Interaction analysis highlighted that double pinching (P3) combined with all gibberellin levels had a highly significant effect on chlorophyll concentration at GR (P < 0.01). Furthermore, pinching treatments notably impacted carotenoid content at GR, and gibberellin levels also influenced chlorophyll amounts in AK. Overall, the results indicate that careful timing of gibberellin applications and pinching can effectively enhance carotenoid and chlorophyll content and improve pigment absorption in fenugreek. This approach has the potential to boost photosynthetic efficiency and enhance the yield of medicinal plants across varied environmental conditions.
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