Effect of Foliar Application of Chitosan on Growth, Yield and Nutritional Qualities of Red Amaranth (Amaranthus gangeticus L.)

Abstract

Chitosan is a promising natural biopolymer that stimulates growth, increases yield, and boosts-up plants' immune systems. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of foliar application of chitosan on growth, yield and quality attributes (viz. chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, total ash and major nutrient contents) of red amaranth. The field experiment was laid out in a Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and six treatments [viz. T0 = Control (no chitosan application); T1 = 100 mg L-1; T2 = 150 mg L-1; T3 = 200 mg L-1; T4 = 250 mg L-1 and T5 = 300 mg L-1 chitosan solution]. The study results revealed that the application of chitosan at different doses had no significant effect on plant height, the number of leaves plant-1, and the moisture content of red amaranth. But there were significant variations in stem diameter, root length, and yield of red amaranth. Similarly, the application of chitosan at different doses also showed a significant effect on chlorophyll contents, carotenoids and total ash contents of red amaranth. The average chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total chlorophylls, carotenoids and ash content of red amaranth ranged from 6.02-9.51, 3.67-5.92 and 9.68-15.15 mg g-1 tissue, 0.20-0.28 µg g-1 sample (fresh wt.), and 16.36-17.69%, respectively. Among the major nutrient elements, the amount of Ca, Mg, Na, K and P in red amaranth was statistically insignificant among the treatments. On the contrary, the effect of foliar application of chitosan at different doses disclosed a statistically significant difference in S, Zn and Fe contents of red amaranth. The highest amounts of chlorophyll-a, carotenoids, total ash, S, and Fe in red amaranth were obtained from treatment T5. Finally, the study results concluded that foliar application of chitosan at 300 mg L-1 has a significant positive effect on the growth, yield, pigments, S, and Fe contents of red amaranth.

Effect of Benzyl Adenine, Calcium Chloride and Chitosan on Growth and Flower Production of Gerbera Jamesonii Bolus ex. Hook. Cv. Esmara

“…Where these results agree with what [28] found on the Rosa hybrid plant, spraying the plants with chitosan at the above concentration resulted in obtaining the largest significant values in the leaves content of total chlorophyll (Table 4) at the end of the experiment. This may be due to the action of chitosan in protecting the plant and increasing its resistance against diseases and their causes, as well as against insect pests, which is reflected in improving plant growth and increasing its activity, in addition to its role in improving the efficiency of the photosynthesis process and increasing its outputs as a result of its role in increasing the activity of enzymes that affect the process of photosynthesis thus lead to an increase in pigments in the plant [29,30], This is supported by [31] in their study on Amaranthus gangeticus. The results in Table (3) also indicated a significant increase in the number of branches when spraying plants with chitosan at the above concentration.…”

Growth, Yield and Biochemical Qualities of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) being Influenced by the Foliar Application of Chitosan

“…A similar result was also reported by Razavizadeh and Adabavazeh [31]. On the contrary, several studies reported a positive effect, in both pot and field conditions, viz., Nasrin et al [20] reported that the highest root length (18.16 cm) of red amaranth was obtained from the foliar application of chitosan at the rate of 300 ppm, while the lowest root length (14.38 cm) was recorded from the control plant. Similar to this, González Gómez et al [32] found that the root length of grafted watermelon was increased by chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels with absorbed copper nanoparticles.…”

“…On the other hand, the lowest yield of spinach (7.53 kg per plot) was obtained from the control treatment (Table 1). Several studies reported that foliar spraying of chitosan has a significant positive effect on yield and yield-contributing characteristics of red amaranth and tomatoes [20,21,28]. Similarly, numerous studies have found that spraying chitosan onto plant leaves significantly improves yield and yield-contributing traits in maize [33], and watermelon [32].…”

“…However, to our knowledge, there has yet to be a systemic research report on the effect of chitosan foliar treatment on spinach production. There are published reports on the effect of chitosan application on the production of red amaranth [20] and tomato [21] in Bangladesh condition. The results of this study will be utilized to recommend a chitosan application dosage for spinach production in Bangladesh, creating new possibilities for supplying nutrient-dense food while simultaneously preserving soil health and the environment as a whole.…”

Influence of Chitosan Coating on Shelf-Life, Biochemical Properties and Nutrient Elements of Carrot (Daucus carota L.) during Postharvest Storage

“…In vivo investigations have shown that chitosan treatment can delay the postharvest deterioration of fruits and vegetables [24,25]. Despite the many beneficial effects of chitosan on the post-harvest quality of vegetables only a few studies have been conducted so far on the effect of chitosan on the post-harvest quality of vegetables and fruits in Bangladesh [24,[26][27][28]. Moreover, studies are very limited regarding the effect of chitosan on the post-harvest shelf life, biochemical properties and nutrient content of carrots in Bangladesh for its successful application as a vegetable coating.…”