season to study the effects of magnetized water and spraying with licorice extract on ... magnetic field pre-treatment of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seeds was.
ISSN 2221 - 0482
Republic of Iraq
Ministry of Higher Education
& scientific Research
Kirkuk University - College of Agriculture
JOURNAL OIM KIltKUK UNIVERSI~Y FOIt AGmCULTU'R AL SCIENCES
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Vol. ( 3 )
No. ( 1 )
Year (2012)
ARefereed Scientific Journal Published by College Of Agriculture· Kirkuk University· Iraq
-Effect of irrigation with. mag:netized water and s.praying licorice extract on some physiological characteristics of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) leaves and fruit quality under greenhouse condition Rawaz J. Hama
Ikbal. M. G. AL-Barzinji
College of Agriculture
College of Agriculture
Koya University
Sulaymania University
Abstract A greenhouse experiment conducted in Koya city at 2009-2010 winter season to study the effects of magnetized water and spraying with licorice extract on some physiological characteristics and fruit quality of cucumber hybrid SARA Fl. The results indicated that, magnetized water increased ~lomata
number on lower leaves surfaces significantly compared with ordinary
water and no significant effect on stoma dimensions on both upper and lower '-",
surfaces. Spraying with licorice extract decreased stomata number on upper leaves surfaces significantly by increasing extract concentration. Magnetized water decreased leaves dry matter content, and increased the content of chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll significantly, while licorice extract decreased the chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll significantly compared with ordinary water. Results also shows that using magnetized water and licorice extract has no significant effect on fruits contents of dry matter and total carbohydrate, while they increased total soluble solids (T.S.S) and vitamin C contents significantly.
20
Introd ucti 0 n" Different chemical additives are used for rising quality and quantity of plants,their ap_plication causes the contamination- of raw materials for food production with toxins that is dangerous for consumers health. On farm safety for fresh product needs developing and implementing new methods for quality assurance. Most perspective factors are the treatment with electromagnetic waves, particularly optical emission, the ultrasound, ionizing radiation, magnetic field and using plant extracts. The hydrogen bond in liquid water is highly affected by electrical and magnetic fields (Hirota et al. 1999), it is found that chemical and physical proprieties changed when water pass through magnetic field, so magnetized water has different chemical and physical proprieties and more action than ordinary water (AI-Kaysi, 2009). Plant nutrition value could be enhanced by magnetic field pre-treatment of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seeds was reported to increased lipid oxidation and ascorbic acid contents in (Yao et al., 2005), the sugar content in sugar beet roots (Beta vulgaris) and gluten in wheat
(Triticum aestivum L.) (Pietruszewski , 1999 and Pietruszewski and Wojcik, 2000). Magnetic field may play an important role in cation uptake capacity and has a positive effect on immobile plant nutrient uptake (Esitken and Turan, 2003). Yinan et al. (2005) published that the magnetic field pre-treatment had a positive effect on cucumber seedlings, such as stimulating seedling growth and development. Cucumber plants irrigated with magnetized water increased the description growth and yield compared with the plants irrigated with ordinary water, also improved taste, increased nutrient content, increased shelf life of produce and reduced total dissolved solids (TDS) (Omni Environmental Group,2010). Using plant extracts as natural alternative to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth regulators and plant nutrients is spreading in wide steps all over the world, therefore, plants extracts could be a substitution of chemical 21
additives, which can reduce toxins in raw materials and thus raise the food safety. One of these extracts is the root and stolon of the licorice (Glycyrrhiz glabra L.) plant, which contains glycyrrhizin {present as a mixture of
potassium and calcium salts) , many triterpene saponins and flavonoids , reducing and non-reducing sugars, starch, plant gums, resins, essential oils, inorganic salts and low levels of nitrogenous constituents (Isbrucker and Burdock, 2006). Hussain (2002) found that spraying licorice extract by 2.5 and 5 gIL increased the leaf content of chlorophyll, and fruit content of vitamin C. This study was conducted to determine the effects of magnetized water and spraying licorice extract on some physiological characteristics of cucumber plant (Cucumis sativus L.) and fruit quality. Materials and methods
A greenhouse experiment conducted in Koya city (located at 44°39'E, 36°05' N, and 618 m of altitude ) on cucumber hybrid SARA Fl, at 2009-2010 growing season in silty clay soil with pH (7.35) and EC (0.95 ds.m- I ) in 500m2 area greenhouse supported with drip irrigation system. Seeds were planted in nursery on 9 Sept. 2009, the transplanting done at 21 Sept. 2009. Spaces between plants were 40 cm. and between lines were 50 cm., there were 20 plants for each experimental unit. The experiment was a factorial in a complete randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The first factor was kind of irrigation water (water treated with 1000 gauss magnetizer tool (MW) and ordinary water (OW)), while the second factor was foliar spraying with licorice extracts in 2.5 and 5 g/ liter, in addition to control treatment. For preparing one liter of 2.5 and 5 gIL licorice extract, 25 and 50 g of the powder soaked in one liter of 50° water for 24 hours, followed by filtering with a thin fabric (AI Marsoumi, 1999). The plants were sprayed with licorice extract twice, the first was at flowering initiation at 20 October and the second was three weeks after. Some physiological characteristics were measured including number, width and long of stomata for 10 stomata for each plant and averaged over three replicates 22
(Oerke et al. 2006), leaves content of dry matter, chlorophyll a, chlorophy-ll b, total chlorophyll (Rangam1a , 1977), total carbohydrate (Joslyn, 1970) were . _ measured _with dry matter, tbetotaLsolublesolids (TSS) which measured by using a hand refractometer, vitamin C (Ranganna , 1977), and total carbohydrate in fruits. Variance and least significant differences (LSD) analyses of data were performed using SAS statistic program (Reza, 2006).
Results and discussion Stomata characteristics On examining the stomatal structure in cucumber plants (Fig 1 and 2), both abaxial and adaxial epidermis had stomata. The anatomical study on cucumber leaves (Table 1) indicated that no significant effect was showed of water quality on stomata number on upper leaves surface, but magnetized water increased stomata number on lower leaves surface significantly compared with ordinary water by 16.77%, that means stomatal morphogenesis is controlled by genetic as well as environmental factors (Schlter et al., 2003). Water quality has no significant effect on stomata dimensions on both upper and lower leaves surfaces. The results indicated that spraying cucumber foliage with licorice extract decreased stomata number significantly on upper leaves surfaces by increasing extract concentration. Stomata number decreased significantly on lower leaves surfaces by 5g/L of extract. There were no significant effect to licorice extract on stomata dimensions on both upper and lower leaves surfaces. Because stomatal function is important on the physiology, adaptation and productivity of plants, and adaptation ability of the plants is closely associated with transpiration and photosynthesis process occurred in their leaves, the number and distribution of the stomata in unit leaf area have an important role in these processes by adjusting CO 2, O 2 and moisture exchange between the leaves and the atmosphere (Brownlee, 2001). The positive effect of increasing the number on lower surface (Fig.l) and decreasing stomata number on upper 23
surface (Fig.2) is appear in photosynthesis efficiency and carb0hydrate product, also decreasing stomata number on upper surface decreased the water evaporatedfrom leaves so increasing photosynthesis -efficiency (AI-Shahwani, 2006), which may result in higher rate ofTSS and vitamin C in these treated fruits (Table 3). Interaction between water quality and licorice extract concentrations showed that, irrigation with magnetized water increased stomata number specially on lower leaves surfaces, and its interaction with 2.5 gIL licorice concentration gave the high stomata number on lower leaves surfaces. This interaction increased stomata dimension in plants irrigated with ordinary water and sprayed with 5 gIL licorice extract concentration, whereas it deceased in plant irrigated with magnetized water and not sprayed with licorice extract. These results is agree with Ricciardi et.al (1986) who mentioned that stomata characteristics like number, length and width is affected by genetic constitution , season, leaf position and leaf surface (upper or lower).
Leaves dry matter, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and total carbohydrate content: Results in table 2 revealed that using magnetized water decreased the percent of leaves dry matter content compare with ordinary water, while it increased chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll significantly, but there were no significant effect on total carbohydrates, the decreased in the percent of leaves dry matter content may due to dilution factor by increasing plant growth and development when plants irrigated with magnetized water (AI-Madhide, 2007), while increasing of chlorophyll content may due to the positive effect of magnetized water on the plant major elements uptake such as Ca+2 and Mg+2 (Faten et al,2009), and to some paramagnetic properties of chloroplasts which representing the photosynthetic apparatus of higher plants (Commoner et al. , 1956). Licorice extract at 2.5 and 5 giL concentrations has non significant effect on leaves dry matter and total carbohydrate, while it decreased the chlorophyll 24
a, b and total chlorophyll significantly compared
Uv~ith
crmtrol, this may caused
by licorice extract containing mevalonic acid which behavior like gibrellene through increasing pl-ant vegetative- growth , cell elongati-on and division by inducing the enzymes that transferring the complex material to simple material that participate in building new necessary protein to new growth, this increase in growth rate was reflected on accumulative dry matter on leaves and fruits (AI-Shahwany , 2006). Results did not agree with Hussien (2002) who found highest chlorophyll content of cucumber leaves sprayed with licorice extract at 2.5 g/ L concentration significantly. The results in table 2 also shows that interaction between magnetized water and licorice extract increased the leaves dry matter significantly compared with ordinary water, while irrigated with magnetized water without licorice extract increased each of chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll significantly compared with other interaction treatments, while the least obtained from plants irrigated with ordinary water with 5 gIL licorice extract.
Fruits dry matter, TSS, Vitamin C and total carbohydrate content Organic acids (ascorbic acid and citric acid) , TSS and carbohydrate content were strong detenninants of fruit quality (Akl et aI., 1995). Results in table 3 revealed that using magnetized water increased the content of total soluble solids (TSS) and vitamin C significantly, while it has no significant effects on fruit content of dry matter and total carbohydrate. Licorice extract concentrations has no significant effects on fruit content of dry matter and total carbohydrate, whereas increasing licorice extract concentration increasing fruit content of total soluble solids (TSS) and vitamin C significantly, this increase may due to an increase in stomata number that allows plants under well-watered conditions to increase conductance for gas exchange at the leaf surface and, thus, avoid photosynthetic limitation by sub-optimal CO 2 supply and increasing photosynthesis productivity (Schluter et al., 2003). Table 3 also shows that 25
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and
interaction content of
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soluble solids (TSS) and vitamin
significantly, except licorice
interactionhetween irrigated witn-Qrdinary- water with 5 While the interactions
the frJits
no significant effects on
content
matter
total carbohydrate. maintained a
condition during
time under
drip irrigation
under magnetized water irrigation as compared with
ordinary
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possibility of wide opening
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stomata
water irrigation,
exchange of gases. Similarly, cucumber
remained
and produced more leaf surface with wide it helps
which would
absorption of more sunlight
have
of solar radiation,
higher growth rate and TSS
vitamin C in fruits.
high
reducing and non-reducing sugars, starch, plant gums,
level, which
1998).
that
a parameter
spraying licorice fruit quality
results agree with Ruiz and Romero (1998) who N
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increased
(Cucumis sativus L. cv. Bunex) fruit "vm"l of soluble solid content,
of essential oils and
(Isbrucker and Burdock, 2006), therefore,
extract raised the (Belakbir et
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rate of photosynthesis and increased
photosynthetic capacity ultimately leading
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a
longer period which might have
resulted in
Thus
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the cucumber
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acids, ascorbic
and sucrose, while it decreased water
Table 1. Effect of magnetized water and licorice extract concentrations and their interactions on the stomata number and dimension on the upper (adaxial) and lower {ahaxial}-cucumberleaves surfaces. Treatments
Stomata Number Imm 2 in:
Stomata length (micron)
Stomata width (micron)
Upper
Lower
Upper leaf
Lower leaf
Upper leaf
Lower leaf
leaf
leaf
surface
surface
surface
surface
surface
surface
Ordinary water (OW)
18.59
26.06
5.21
5.17
3.32
3.46
Magnetized water(MW)
18.71
31.31
4.89
4.96
3.27
3.31
N.S
3.26
N.S
N.S
N.S.
N.S.
Control
19.04
29.79
4.81
4.82
3.17
3.42
2.5 giL.
18.95
30.35
5.06
4.99
3.44
3.30
5.0 giL.
17.96
25.91
5.27
5.38
3.27
3.44
1.03
4.00
N.S.
N.S.
N.S.
N.S.
OW X Control
19.36
29.91
5.11
4.95
3.25
3.44
OW X 2.5 giL.
19.58
27.00
4.98
5.14
3.40
3.61
OW X 5.0 giL.
16.83
21.27
5.54
5.42
3.30
3.34
MW X Control
18.72
29.67
4.51
4.69
3.09
3.40
MW X 2.5 giL.
18.33
33.70
5.14
4.84
3.47
2.98
MW X 5.0 giL.
19.08
30.55
5.00
5.37
3.25
3.54
1.46
5.66
0.78
N.S.
N.S.
N.S.
Kind of water
L.5.D.(5%)
Licorice extract concentration
L.S.D.(5%)
Interaction between kind of water and licorice concentration
L.S.D.(5%)
27
water and licorice extract concentrations and their interactions
2. on the
dry matter, chlorophyll a , chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll
total
content Treatment m
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