Evaluation of chitosan application on growth, yield, and quality performance of onion cultivars ‘Dayo’ and ‘Prema’ in the winter season
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Onion (Allium cepa L.), a member of the Amaryllidaceae family, is a cool-season vegetable crop and one of the most significant horticulture crops farmed globally for culinary purposes. It is the world's second most-farmed horticulture crop. Therefore, research was conducted to study the effects of foliar chitosan treatment on the growth and yield of two onion cultivars, Prema and Dayo. Research was conducted in the Experimental Area, Department of Horticultural Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. Three different concentrations of chitosan @ 50 ppm, 100 ppm, and 150 ppm were used. The experiment was laid out according to a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with two factors and three replications. Data were collected on leaf area (cm²), leaf height (cm), number of leaves, leaf width (cm), LEF (linear electron flow), PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) (µmol m-² s-1), Phi2 (quantum yield of photosystem II), PhiNO (ratio of light not absorbed), total chlorophyll contents (SPAD) (mg g-1 FW), PhiNPQ (ratio of incoming light), leaf thickness, vh+ (proton gradient), gh+ (ATP synthase activity) and bulb weight. The most apparent increases were shown at 50 ppm. The results showed that chitosan considerably increased leaf area, leaf height, number of leaves, leaf width, photosynthetic efficiency (Phi2), total chlorophyll content (SPAD), and bulb weight. No significant differences were found for leaf thickness, gh+, PhiNO, and linear electron flow. The results highlight the potential of chitosan as a growth enhancer, implying that routine agricultural procedures may result in more resilient onion plants and increased yields.
Authors: Muhammad Uzair Amjad, Rashid Hussain, Ayesha Mehmood, Ishtiaq Ahmad
Institution: Islamia University of Bahawalpur
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4408729477