Improving the Growth and Production of Beets by Fertilizing with Fish Water and Spraying Lentil Extract

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the fields belonging to the Department of Horticulture, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, at Al-Jadriya Complex / Station A, for the autumn season of 2022-2023. The aim was to study the effect of water fish irrigation and water lens plant extract foliar application on the growth and productivity of beetroot. The experiment included two factors: the first factor was water fish irrigation with five concentrations (A) Control treatment (irrigation with river water and recommended fertilization), (B) Water fish irrigation at 25% concentration, (C) water Fish irrigation at 50% concentration, (D) Water Fish irrigation at 75% concentration, (E) Water fish irrigation at 100% concentration. The second factor was the foliar application of water lens plant extract, including (T1) Control treatment, (T2) Foliar application of extract at 0.25% concentration, (T3) Foliar application of extract at 0.50% concentration, (T4) Foliar application of extract at 0.75% concentration, (T5) Foliar application of extract at 1% concentration. The experiment was designed using a completely randomized block design with three replications, and a total of 25 treatments per replication. The means were compared using the Least Significant Difference (L.S.D) test at a significance level of 0.05. The results were as follows: Water fish irrigation treatments showed significant superiority in yield indicators, including root diameter, dry weight, height, and total yield. Treatment (E) gave the highest averages in root dry weight and total yield, while the largest root diameter was observed in treatment (D). As for root height, the highest average was recorded in treatment (C). The results of water lens plant extract foliar application showed a significant effect on yield indicators, with treatment (T5) outperforming in root dry weight, root height, and total yield. The interaction treatment ET5 showed the highest average total yield per hectare, reaching 1372 kg/ha.