Iron Heterocomplexes Containing Humic Acid Chelating Agent as Highly Efficient Micronutrient Materials for Bell Pepper Plant

Nikoosefat, Omid; Shariatinia, Zahra; Mair, Francis S.; Sharif Paghaleh, Ali; Zare, Hamideh

doi:10.22034/iuvs.2023.2008953.1306

Iron Heterocomplexes Containing Humic Acid Chelating Agent as Highly Efficient Micronutrient Materials for Bell Pepper Plant

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Omid Nikoosefat ¹

Zahra Shariatinia ²

Francis S. Mair ³

Ali Sharif Paghaleh ⁴

Hamideh Zare ⁵

¹ Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran

² Professor, Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran

³ Professor, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom

⁴ Professor, Department of Food Technology, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

⁵ M.Sc., Department of Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

10.22034/iuvs.2023.2008953.1306

Abstract

Extended Abstract
1. Introduction: Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Nirvin variety is one of the most important vegetables in the world because of its high economic value and its valuable food and medicinal compounds, including the antioxidants and vitamins. Though there is a high amount of iron as one of the most essential microelements in soil, iron deficiency is a significant issue in agriculture principally in calcareous soils. However, bioavailability of iron as an essential micronutrient depends on environmental parameters including acidity and redox reactions. Also, iron delivery into plants mainly in alkaline and neutral soils, is an important problem and enormous efforts have been accomplished to appropriately deliver iron ions to plants and overcome the iron deficiency. Foe this purpose, several synthetic Fe-containing fertilizers have been produced to solve the iron deficiency problem in plants and enhance yield and quality of agricultural crops. Many studies have reported effects of HA on enhancement of iron contents in many plants. Besides, application of humic iron chelates in soil is known as an important strategy for iron delivery to plants. Hence, it is expected hat the humic iron chelates will enhance the morphological and micronutrient properties of bell pepper plant including its leaf and fruit.
2. Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the effect of differential treatments on the concentration of N, P, and K, and low-use elements, especially Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn, and some leaf and fruit morphological traits in the red bell pepper plant of Nirvin variety, several experiments were performed in a complete randomized block design with three replications. High consumption elements including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and low consumption elements including including iron, zic, manganese, and copper were measured in bell pepper plant leaves. For this purpose, samples were thermally treated at 550 C for 3 h to obtain their ash powders. Then, HCl was added to the samples to obtain extracts, which were used for measurement os the existing elements. The elements zinc, copper, iron, and manganese were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy, phosphorus element was measured using spectrophotometer, potassium was measured by film photometer, and nitrogen was measured by Kjeldahl digestion as as analytical chemistry method. In order to measure fresh and dry weights of leaves, samples were weighted before and after drying at 70 C for 48 h. The length and diameter and fruits were measured using a digital caliper.
3. Results and Discussion: The results of analysis of variance showed a significant difference between the treatments in high and low consumption elements and traits of leaf length, leaf width, leaf fresh and dry weight, fruit length and width, fruit fresh and dry weight and pericarp thickness. The highest amounts of N and K, Fe were observed in plants treated with humic iron chelate. The highest and the lowest amounts of low consumption iron element were 258.67 mg/L and 192.67 mg/L, which were obtaoned for the plants treated with humic iron chelate and control, respectively. By comparing the average values, it was found that the highest and the lowest amounts of zinc element were 47 mg/L and 38 mg/L, which were obtaoned for the plants treated with low humic percentage and control, respectively. Moreover, the highest and the lowest amounts of manganese element were 105 mg/L and 74 mg/L, which were obtaoned for the plants treated with humic iron chelate and control, respectively. Furthermore, the characteristics of leaf width and fresh weight, length, fresh and dry weight of fruit showed the highest values in plants treated with humic iron chelate. In the cluster analysis of the control treatments, humic and low percentage humic iron chelate were placed in one group. Leaf width trait with leaf wet weight (r=0.89) and leaf length with fruit dry weight (r=0.87) showed the highest positive and significant correlation among the traits. Plants treated using commercial iron chelate and american humax exhibited the highest amounts of manganese element in bell pepper leaves.
4. Conclusion: Therefore, according to the result of this research, in order to obtain better performance in bell pepper plant, it is recommended to use humic iron chelate compared to other treatments used. This result was obtained by treatment of bell pepper plant using various micronutrient materials for bell pepper plant, including commercial iron chelate, low humic percentage, high humic percentage, american humax, and humic iron chelate.

Keywords

Plant growth

Morphological traits

High and low consumption food elements

Humic iron chelates

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