EFFECT OF NATURAL GROWTH PROMOTERS ON THE NUTRITIVE QUALITY AND ANTIOXIDANT ATTRIBUTES OF LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES

Abstract

Epidemiological evidences encourage the suitability of intake of fresh leafy green vegetables to combat against a list of neurodegenerative disorders including diabetes, breast cancers, cardiovascular and other diseases. To meet such targets, the field of agriculture has taken a mold towards the betterment of nutritional status of these vegetables via number of plant growth regulating substances. These economic strategies are implemented to nullify the use of pesticides and other environmental threatening agents. In current study, the application of different plant growth promoters (Moringa leaf extract, 6-Benzyl amino purine, Humic acid, Biofertilizer etc.) was appraised on some leafy green vegetables. Moringa leaf extract, 6-Benzyl amino purine and Humic acid, alone and in conjunction with each other (mixture) were applied in foliar mode while Humic acid (6 h, 9 h, 12 h duration) and Biofertilizer (slurry form) were applied as seed priming treatments. The optimized results of pot study were selected on the basis of antioxidant activity on which field experiment was raised later on. Field experiment included various parameters i.e. soil chemistry analysis, growth parameters, biochemical, proximate and antioxidant attributes. Although all treatments of plant growth regulators improved the efficacy of plant against control samples but Moringa leaf extract proved the potent plant growth regulator amongst all regarding biochemical, proximate, growth parameters and as an antioxidant action. Among other foliar treatments, 6-Benzyl amino purine and mixture treatments yielded comparable results and Humic acid showed the least performance. Among seed priming treatments, Biofertilizer and Humic acid (9 h) treatments showed better performance than rest of the treatments i.e. Humic acid 9 h and 12 h. Urea presence in soil showed improved results than in absence in all cases except in case of antioxidants. Overall study concludes that natural plant growth promoters can be a better and economical substitute of fertilizers in view of environmental deterioration. Moringa leaf extract can be preferred as an effective plant growth promoter due to its inherited composition of vitamins (A, B, C, E etc.), minerals (Na, Mn, Mg, K, P, Ca, S, Zn, Fe, Cu etc.), cytokinins, humic acid and other suitable bioactives.