Abstract:
The widespread use of synthetic chemicals in agricultural production negatively affects the environment and lowers the nutritional quality of food. Hence, natural alternatives are recommended to preserve the ecosystem, improve food quality, and minimize contamination. Moringa oleifera is cultivated for its leaves and seeds, which are utilized as fresh vegetables, green manure, plant biostimulants, and eco-friendly pesticides. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are compounds that regulate or modify the physiological activities of plants, influencing their growth, development, or maturation. These regulators may be either naturally occurring plant hormones (phytohormones) or artificially synthesized substances. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the influence of moringa leaf extract (MLE) and seaweed extract (SWE), a plant growth regulator, as biostimulants to enhance the growth of sunflower cultivated in pot culture under both normal and salt-affected soils during 2025. To evaluate the effects of MLE and SWE, the experimental treatments consisted of 4% MLE, 4% SWE, their combined application, and a control group. The pot experiment was implemented in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications for each treatment. Measurements were recorded for several growth indicators including shoot and root lengths, fresh and dry biomass of shoots and roots, and root-to-shoot ratio. Physiological parameters included relative water content, membrane stability index, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic and transpiration rates, and stomatal conductance. Biochemical assessments involved water-soluble carbohydrates, total and crude proteins, lipids, organic acids, enzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, along with non-enzymatic antioxidants including ascorbate, glutathione, and phenolic compounds. Concentrations of ions and essential nutrients such as sodium, chloride, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were also analyzed. All gathered data were statistically processed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with the Statistix 10 software package, and differences among treatment means were tested with the least significant difference (LSD) method at a 0.05 significance threshold. The results revealed that the combined treatment of 4% moringa leaf extract and 4% seaweed extract was the most effective approach for enhancing the growth and yield of sunflower crop under both normal and saline soil conditions.
Page(s):
142-143
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: 1st International Conference on "Recent Advances in Green Biotechnology and Climate Resilience", September 15-16, 2025, Volume: 1, Issue: 1, Year: 2025
Keywords:
Growth
,
Sunflower
,
Evaluation
,
moringa leaf extract
,
Saline Conditions