EFFECT OF ORGANIC AND MINERAL FERTILIZATION AND HUMIC ACID APPLICATION ON INCREASING THE FLAVONOID CONTENT IN MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAVES

Abstract

The presented research carried out in the growing season of 2020 at the Department of Horticulture and Landscape, College of Agriculture, University of Anbar, Iraq, investigated the impact of mineral (chemical) and organic (birds) fertilization and foliar application of the humic acid on the active substances of the moringa (Moringa oleifera) plant leaves. The treatments included an organic fertilizer (300 g plant-1), mineral fertilizer DAP (225 g plant-1), and humic acid (3000 ppm). The experiment ran in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Results revealed that adding organic and mineral fertilizers and foliar application of humic acid affected and increased flavonoids significantly in moringa plant leaves, such as, six flavonoid components, i.e., catechin, quercetin, luteolin, rutin, apigenin, and kaempferol, amounting to 73.83, 21.51, 3.344, 20.55, 7.53, and 2.09 µg L-1, respectively, compared with the control treatment (2.56, 3.22, 1.304, 2.25, 1.88, and 0.29 ppm, respectively).