Biofertilization and Organic Extracts Enhance Vegetative Growth and Yield of Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) – Implications for Sustainable Production of High Value Leafy Greens for the Food Industry | ||
| مجله علوم و صنایع غذایی ایران | ||
| Volume 23, 176-ویژه نامه, July 1405, Pages 319-334 PDF (396.34 K) | ||
| Document Type: مقاله پژوهشی | ||
| DOI: 10.48311/fsct.2026.122299.83336 | ||
| Authors | ||
| A.I. MANEA* ; M.N. AL-GUBOURI; Z.K. AL-MUSSAWI | ||
| Al-Qasim Green University, College of Agriculture, Iraq | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) is a nutrient dense leafy green vegetable with growing commercial value for fresh and processed food markets, owing to its high content of vitamins (A, C, K), minerals (calcium, iron), fibre, and bioactive phenolic compounds. A field experiment was conducted at the Abu Al Fadl Forest Nursery Station, Al Diwaniyah, Iraq, to investigate the effects of biofertilization and organic extracts on vegetative growth and yield traits of kale. The experiment included two factors: Factor 1 – biofertilizers (control, yeast extract 5 g L⁻¹, Folozyme 2 g L⁻¹, Biohealth 2 g L⁻¹); Factor 2 – organic extracts (control, urea 5 g L⁻¹, amino acids 5 mL L⁻¹, humic acid 7 mL L⁻¹, seaweed extract 5 mL L⁻¹). Results showed that Folozyme significantly improved leaf number (21.77), plant height (27.57 cm), chlorophyll content (74.0 SPAD), leaf dimensions, and total yield (34.63 ton ha⁻¹). Urea application enhanced single plant yield (0.8533 kg) and total yield (34.13 ton ha⁻¹). The interaction of Biohealth + seaweed gave the tallest plants (30.58 cm), while yeast extract + seaweed maximised leaf area (4200 cm² plant⁻¹). The treatment Folozyme + amino acids produced the longest leaves (36.70 cm), and Folozyme + urea gave the widest leaves (15.20 cm). These findings demonstrate that integrated biofertilizer and organic extract applications can substantially enhance kale productivity, offering a sustainable, low input approach to produce high quality raw materials for the food industry. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Kale; biofertilizer; organic extracts; vegetative growth; yield; food industry; sustainable production functional food leafy greens | ||
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