Growth yield and yield attributes
Theres ultsgenerally showed that effect of humic plus and green magicofrice significantly increased growth andyield parametersover control.
Plant height (cm)
Table 4 and Fig 1 show that applying foliar spray with Humic Plus and soil application of Green Magic significantly increased plant height.Among the treatments, T9, which consisted of RDF combined with Humic Plus foliar spray at 10 ml ha
-1 applied at 30 days after transplanting (DAT) and soil application of Green Magic at 15 kg ha
-1, recorded the highest plant height of 107.72 cm at the harvest stage.
Plant height is a crucial morphological trait that reflects a crop’s vigor and potential for higher yields. Taller plants are generally associated with a greater capacity for photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, leading to improved yields. The increase in vegetative growth observed in rice is attributed to the soil application of the organic fertilizer Green Magic, which contains humic and fulvic acids, as well as the foliar application of Humic Plus, which comprises humic, fulvic and gibberellic acids. This aligns with findings by
El-Bassiony et al. (2010), which also reported improvements in plant height due to similar treatments.
Gabr et al., (2022) emphasized the positive impact of fulvic acid in Humic Plus on plant height. Additionally, foliar spraying of Humic Plus, which includes Gibberellic acid at a concentration of 500 ppm, has been shown to promote various growth characteristics, supporting the results reported by
Gunalarasi et al., (2022). Overall, these findings underscore the positive impact of these nutrient management strategies on the growth of rice.
Number of tillers hill-1
Tiller production in rice was significantly superior by the application of foliar spray with Humic Plus and the soil application of Green Magic, as detailed in Table 4 and Fig 1. Among the tested treatments, T
9 comprising RDF (recomm-ended dosage of fertilizers) along with a foliar spray of Humic Plus at 10 ml ha
-1 applied at 30 days after transplanting (DAT) and soil application of Green Magic at 15 kg ha
-1 -achieved the highest recorded tiller production, with an average of 19.09 productive tillers per hill at the harvest stage.
Tillering is a complex characteristic influenced by various factors, including the genotype of the rice variety, environmental conditions, management practices and their interactions. As a significant determinant of grain production, tiller formation is crucial for overall plant growth. The study found that the use of Humic Plus as a foliar spray contributed to the highest number of tillers per hill, supporting previous research by
Kazemi (2014) that reported similar outcomes.
The raise in tiller manufacture can be largely ascribed to the 6% fulvic acid content in Humic Plus, which may have enhanced nutrient uptake, thus promoting greater tiller formation compared to other treatments. This reasoning is consistent with findings by
Ahmad et al., (2018), who noted improved tillering as a result of enhanced nutrient availability. Furthermore, the significant presence of Gibberellic acid in Humic Plus was likely beneficial for plant development, contributing to the observed improvements in tiller production, as noted by
Soomro et al., (2020). Overall, these findings highlight the importance of employing specific nutrient management strategies to optimize tiller production and improve the yield potential of rice crops.
Leaf area index
The application of Humic Plus foliar spray and soil application of Green Magic significantly improved the leaf area index (LAI) in rice, as indicated in Table 4. The highest LAI values observed were 3.76 at the tillering stage and 4.65 at panicle instigation in treatment T9, which included RDF combined with Humic Plus foliar spray at 10 ml ha
-1 applied at 30 DAT and Green Magic at 15 kg ha
-1.
The leaf area index is a critical ecological parameter that reflects leaf foliage volume, photosynthetic surface area and the effects of management practices on crop growth, as highlighted by
Sang-II et al. (2013). Maximizing leaf area is essential for high productivity, as noted by
Singh and Agarwal (2001). The increase in leaf area and LAI can be attributed to higher chlorophyll content both from the organic fertilizers in Green Magic and the humic and fulvic acids it contains, as indicated by
Chatterjee and Choudhuri (2012). Furthermore, the presence of Gibberellic Acid (GA3) in Humic Plus is acknowledged for enhancing leaf area and LAI in various crops, including rice, as demonstrated in studies by
Khan et al., (2006) and
Liu et al., (2012). Overall, these findings emphasize the role of specific nutrient management and growth regulators in promoting vegetative growth in rice.
Chlorophyll content (SPADValue)
The addition of foliar spray of Humic plus and soil application of Green magic causedsignificant increases in chlorophyll content (Table 4). Among the treatments (T
9) - application of RDF+ Humic plus foliar spray @ 10 ml ha
-1 at 30 DAT +Soil application of Green magic @15 kgha
-1 was registered maximum chlorophyll content (42.25 and 44.74) attillerin gand panicle initiation. Chlorophyll coloration is linked to nutrient uptake in plants.
Seadh et al., (2017) found that foliar application of humic acid in Humic Plus significantly enhances chlorophyll content. Additionally,
Suh et al., (2014) reported that Humic Plus, containing humic and fulvic acids along with Gibberellic acid, also improves chlorophyll levels in plants.
Number of panicle m-2
The application of Humic Plus foliar spray and soil application of Green Magic significantly increased the number of panicles per square meter, as shown in Table 5. Notably, the treatment T
9 comprising RDF along with a Humic Plus foliar spray at 10 ml/ha applied at 30 DAT andGreen Magic at 15 kg/ha recorded the highest number of panicles at 335.4 per square meter.
The analysis of the components provides insight into the physiological basis of the crop and the source-sink relationships influenced by various nutrient treatments. The substantial increase in the number of panicles can be attributed to the application of Green Magic, which contains humic acids. These acids may help mitigate panicle abortion by improving the availability of metabolites at critical growth stages, thereby reducing competition for these resources among panicles.
Al-Ubori et al. (2023) provide additional support for this observation.
The increase in panicles is attributed to the fulvic acid in the Humic Plus spray, known to enhance plant growth (
El-Said et al., 2022). Productive tillers, which generate panicles, are vital for yield, as the no. of tillers per plant indirectly affects yield and positively influences panicle production.
The use of Humic Plus, which includes Gibberellic Acid, led to an increased number of effective tillers per plant. This aligns with
Kumaravel et al., (2022), who noted the positive impact of gibberellic acid on tiller development.
Overall, the integration of humic plus and green magic not only enhances the physiological aspects of the plants but also contributes to increased panicle production. This relationship underscores the importance of nutrient manage- ment and growth regulators in maximizing rice yield potential.
Number of grains panicle-1
The analysis indicated that using Humic Plus foliar spray and Green Magic soil application significantly increased the number of grains per panicle. Treatment T
9, which combined the recommended fertilizers with a Humic Plus spray at 10 ml/ha and Green Magic at 15 kg/ha, achieved the highest count of 138.5 grains per panicle.
The increase in the number of grains per panicle can be attributed to the beneficial effects of Green Magic, particularly its humic acid content. This component enhances photosynthetic efficiency and creates favorable conditions for flower formation by alleviating competition among flowers for resources. This finding is supported by
Al-Fatlawi and Alrubaiee (2020).
Additionally, the concentration of fulvic acid in the Humic Plus foliar spray likely played a significant role in improving the number of grains per panicle, as noted by
Kanabar and Nandwani (2023). Understanding the increase in grains per panicle can be complex due to the intricate relationships and processes that influence grain development and physiology. Factors such as nutrient availability, hormonal regulation and environmental conditions interact in ways that may be challenging to dissect fully.
Furthermore, the potential influence of Gibberellic Acid present in the Humic Plus formulation may also contribute to these positive outcomes. The findings align with those of
Singh et al., (2018), who reported similar improvements in grain development due to treatments involving growth regulators.
In summary, the application of Humic Plus and Green Magic not only enhances the number of grains/ panicle but also highlights the intricate interplay of growth factors that facilitate improved crop performance. This underscores the importance of comprehensive nutrient management strategies in optimizing rice yields.
Panicle length (cm)
Examination of the data on the panicle length showed in Table 5 and Fig 2 the addition of foliar sprayof Humic plus and soil application of Green magic caused significant increases inpanicle length (cm). Among the treatments (T9) - application of RDF+Humic plus foliar spray @ 10 ml ha
-1 at 30DAT + Soil application of Green magic @ 15 kg ha
-1 was obtained highest panicle length (26.6 cm)was superior to all the treatments. The panicle length is augmented because of soil application of Green magic consists of humic and ful vic acid. The findings of
Saha et al., (2013) indicate that reduced nitrogen loss in the presence of humic acid promotes vegetative growth, including increased panicle length in rice plants.
Thousand grain weight (g)
The data on thousand grain weight showed no significant differences due to the foliar application of Humic Plus or the soil application of Green Magic, with all treatments having a similar effect. While other growth parameters, like panicle numbers and grains per panicle, benefited from these treatments, grain weight remained consistent across the board. This suggests that factors affecting grain weight may be more complex or unrelated to the nutrient applications studied. Further research is necessary to explore the reasons behind this finding and to identify other variables that could influence thousand grain weight.
Grain yield
The data in Table 5 and Fig 2 indicate that the foliar spray of Humic Plus and the soil application of green magic significantly enhanced grain yield. The combination of RDF, Humic Plus foliar spray at 10 ml ha
-1 applied at 30 DAT and soil application of Green Magic at 15 kg ha
-1 resulted in the highest grain yield of 7276 kg ha
-1. Green Magic, which contains humic and fulvic acids, improves soil nutrient levels, increases microbial populations, enhances CEC and improves soil structure. The biochemical effects also influence growth at the cellular level, as discussed by
Wali et al., (2018). The increase in grain yield from foliar application of Humic Plus is attributed to its components humic, fulvic and gibberellic acidswhich enhance grain weight, aligning with findings from
Hamed (2021) and
Mahmoud et al., (2019). The higher yield in plants treated with Humic Plus is primarily due to an increased number of spikelets per panicle. To boost rice production, applying Humic Plus, particularly with gibberellic acid, is recommended, as noted by
Haifaa and Moses (2022).
Straw yield
The data on straw yield, as shown in Table 5 and Fig 3, indicate that the application of foliar spray of Humic Plus and soil application of Green Magic positively affected straw yield. The highest straw yield of 8748 kg ha
-1 was achieved with the treatment combining RDF, Humic Plus foliar spray at 10 ml ha
-1 applied at 30 days after transplanting (DAT) and soil application of Green Magic at 15 kg ha
-1. This increase is attributed to the soil application of Green Magic, which provides a continuous supply of nutrients, leading to enhanced leaf area and dry matter production, consistent with findings by
Kumar et al., (2019). The enhancement in straw yield is also associated with the application of Humic Plus, which contains humic, fulvic and gibberellic acids that further increase leaf area and dry matter. This effect has been supported by
Balaji et al., (2019). Additionally, research by
Rahman et al., (2018) and
Alam et al., (2015) indicates that foliar application of gibberellic acid can also lead to higher straw yields.