Improving fenugreek plants growth and productivity via humic acid treatment

Abstract EN

Fenugreek is a commonly consumed herb due to its medicinal properties and nutritional value.

Humic acid (HA) at 0, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 ppm was applied as a seed priming, soil addition, foliar spray, seed priming + soil addition, soil addition + foliar spray.

Both of HA concentrations and method of applications significantly improved plant growth and productivity.

Moreover, there was a significant interaction between the two investigated factors.

Plant height, plant dry weight, number of pods/plant and seed yield were generally increased by increasing HA concentrations regardless the method of applications.

Soil addition had the highest significant values for all investigated traits regardless the concentration of HA.

Overall, plants which treated with 400 ppm HA as soil addition and foliar spray had the highest significant number of pods/plant (257.77) and seed yield and (68.09 g/plant).

Whereas, HA-untreated plants had the lowest values (71.27 pod/plant and 21.33 g/plant).

Overall plant treated with 400 ppm HA as a soil addition and foliar spray had the highest yield 2587 kg/fad.

however, control plants which developed from priming seeds had the lowest yield 746 kg/fad.

Therefore, it is recommended to treated fenugreek plant with HA as a soil addition and foliar spry three times during the growth season to increase seed yield by about 3-fold compared with untreated plants.