EFFECT OF HUMIC ACID, SEAWEED EXTRACTS AND ORGANIC FERTILIZER ON YIELD QUALITY OF BROCCOLI (Brassica oleracea) GROWN UNDER PLASTIC HOUSE

Salih Farhan Ismael^1,*, Taha Zubeir Sarhan²

¹Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Zakho, Zakho, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

²Department of Horticulture, College of Akre Technical, University of Duhok Polytechnic, Kurdistan Region-Iraq

Corresponding author email: salih.ismael@uoz.edu.krd

Received: 21Jul 2025 / Accepted:23Aug. 2025/ Published:8 Apr. 2025. https://doi.org/10.25271/sjuoz.2025.13.2.1339

ABSTRACT

The research was carried out at the protected cultivation department in Zakho Technical Institute, Dohuk Polytechnic University, Kurdistan region of Iraq during growing season 2021-2022 aiming to investigate the effect of foliar application of humic acid and seaweed extract each at concentrations (0, 2, and 4) ml.L^-1 and soil addition of organic fertilizer (animal manure) at three rates (0, 5, and 10) ton.ha^-1 on yield quality of broccoli cultivar (Agassirz) grown in plastic house. The experiment was designed following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The earned results showed that the humic acid, seaweed extract, and organic manure, either individually or interacted, caused a prominent amelioration in the head qualitative traits such as Chlorophyll content (SPAD), Total soluble solids (TSS %), Ascorbic acid (%), Vitamin B1 (µg. L^-1), and Total carotene (vitamin A) mg. L^-1as compared with control. The ever-highest values were obtainable from the treatment: humic acid at (4) ml. L^-1 + seaweed extract at (4) ml. L^-1 + organic fertilizer at (10) tons. donum^-1, which was superior to control and other treatments. The foliar application of humic acid and seaweed extract at a concentration of 4 ml. L^-1 and soil addition of organic manure at level 10 tons. donum^-1 is recommended for the organic production of broccoli cultivar (Agassirz).

KEYWORDS: Broccoli, Bio-Stimulants, Organic Manure, Yield Quality

1. INTRODUCTION

Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea) belongs to the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae), which possesses impressive nutritive and medicinal value. It is well-known to be enriched with numerous bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, niacin, folic acid, riboflavin, and some vitamins, namely E, A, B1, B2, B5, and B6, as well as containing essential nutrients including sodium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium (Weber, 2017; Al-Birmani, 2017). Some of the bioactive compounds present in Broccoli, particularly glucosinolates and polyphenols, possess antagonistic behavior against cancer and other virulent diseases (Valverde et al. 2015; Ordiales et al. 2017). Hence, broccoli is beneficial for human health when consumed freshly (Rodriguez Casado 2016).

Nowadays, there is an increasing request for new bio-stimulant products to be used in the agricultural sector to attain sustainable production of crops. Plant biostimulants such as humic acid, fulvic acid, seaweed extracts, and amino acids have the potential to improve plant features like growth, abiotic stress endurance, nutritional adequacy, and crop harvest and quality (Du Jardin, 2015). Humic acid is mainly composed of elementary constituents of biodegraded organic matter in the soil, exhibiting biological and chemical impacts on plant outgrowth. They can be directly provided for plants and effectively enriched with carbon, leading to elevated microbial functioning and nutrient obtainability. Such elevation happens via the chelation of nourishing elements and the creation of complex and chelating compounds, resulting in the liberation of free ions, thereby raising the opportunity for uptake in plants (Al Bandawi, 2017). Al-jaf et al. (2018) showed that the foliar feeding of humic acid at (2.5) ml.L^-1significantly enhanced the yield and quality of the broccoli crop as compared to control. Al-Taey et al. (2019) demonstrated that the (Bactrian mixed 20 gm/L + Humic acid 10 ml/L) caused a profound increment in the quality traits of broccoli relative to control. Rachid et al. (2020) reported that 4 ml l^-1 of humic acid in combination with 4 ml l^-1 of nano-calcium gave the best floral diameter (cm) and floral biochemical content as compared to the control.

Seaweed extract is a modern type of natural organic bio-stimulant that is highly nutritious and, when applied, can effectively impact plant growth and productivity (Battacharyya et al., 2015). This bio-stimulant is enriched with small amounts of macro elements (N, P, K), adequate amounts of microelements as well as organic substances like betaine and betaine like compounds, amino acids, and essential plant growth organizers (auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellins) making it a perfect fertilizer supplement for plant (Begum et al., 2018). Numerous agronomical studies revealed a significant effect on vegetable growth and harvest. Manea and Abbas (2018) showed that the application of seaweed extract at a concentration of 3 mL·L^˗1 significantly enhanced the yield qualitative traits of broccoli in comparison with control. Godlewska et al. (2021) unveiled that foliar spraying of botanical extracts, including seaweeds, made a prominent amelioration in vitamin C, carotenoids, and total phenolic substances and reduced the nitrate content in the leaf of the cabbage crop. Mohammed And Sarhan (2023), on broccoli crops, recorded a prominent increment in yield quality attributes such as head length and head diameter.

Organic manure is considered as an alternative natural fertilizer having essential nutrient content required for plant outgrowth and harvest thus ensuring production of food free from chemical residues for human consumption (El-Mesairy et al., 2022). Furthermore, organic manure is consumed as a food supplement by many beneficial microbes and critters like earthworms breaking it down into micronutrients that are already absorbed by plants. The direct influence of organic manure on plant growth is represented by giving off entire necessary macro and microelements in obtainable forms via mineralization, leading to a rise in the physical characteristics of the soil (Farid et al., 2023). Many researches displayed a valuable impact of organic manures on the growth and quality of horticultural crops. Saloom et al. (2016) inspected the effect of organic, mineral fertilization, and mulching on qualitative attributes of broccoli crops. According to their finding, the binary combination between organic and mineral fertilizers gave the topmost TSS, vitamin C, carbohydrate, and protein in the head. In contrast, the head nitrate content was notably minimized with the same dose. Hammad et al. (2019), on broccoli, demonstrated that soil adding of animal manures at a rate of 30 t. ha⁻¹ importantly improved head yield and qualitative traits compared to control. Yoldas et al. (2020) unveiled that treating broccoli crops with sheep and cattle manure at levels 30 and 60 t ha^-1 significantly enhanced the whole harvest and head diameter and length. This study aims to investigate the yield and quality response of broccoli crops to the foliar application of two significant bio-stimulants (seaweed extracts and humic acid) and soil addition of organic fertilizer to produce healthy products with fewer costs without causing any pollution to the environment.

2. MATERIAL AND METHODS

The field experiment was implemented in a plastic house (500 m2) at the protected cultivation department in Zakho Technical Institute, Dohuk Polytechnic University, Kurdistan Region/ Iraq, for the growing season (2021-2022). The seeds of the broccoli cultivar (Agassirz) were planted on September 1^st inside plate pods filled with peat moss as medium and succeeded by irrigation and germination monitoring. After field irrigation, the seedlings were transplanted in the plastic house field on October 2^nd. The space between plants was (50cm) and the line spacing was (60 cm).

The experiment encompassed foliar application of humic acid and algae seaweed extracts, each at three concentrations (0-, 2-, and 4-ml. L^-1), and soil application of animal manures at three levels (0, 5, and 10 ton. ha^-1) and their combinations. The date of animal manure addition was November 2^nd, and the first spraying of both bio-stimulants was performed on November 10^th with ten days intervals between three sprays. The experiment was organized in a factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) including 81 treatments and 27 experimental units with three replicates. The data were analyzed using (SAS 2010) program and means comparison was done by Duncan’s multiple range tests at a 5% level of confidence. The following qualitative characters were measured: head length (cm), head diameter (cm), Total soluble solids (TSS %), Ascorbic acid (%), Vitamin B1 (µg. L^-1), and Total carotene (vitamin A) mg. L^-1.

Table 1: Effect of humic acid, seaweed extract, and organic fertilizer on head length (cm) of broccoli cultivar (Agarssiz).

Humic acid ml. L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1		Organic fertilizer tons. donum^-1			*Humicseaweed**		Humic acid
			0	5	10
0	0		13.44 ^d	17.71 ^c	17.80 ^c	16.32 d		17.49 ^b
	2		17.67 ^c	18.83 ^abc	17.62 ^c	18.04 ^abc
	4		18.23 ^bc	18.05 ^bc	18.08 ^bc	18.12 ^abc
2	0		17.76 ^c	17.45 ^c	18.16 ^bc	17.79 ^bc		17.92 ^b
	2		17.37 ^c	17.61 ^c	17.46 ^c	17.48 ^c
	4		17.78 ^c	18.04 ^bc	19.61 ^ab	18.48 ^ab
4	0		18.09 ^bc	17.37 ^c	18.81 ^abc	18.09 ^abc		18.66 ^a
	2		18.74 ^bc	18.84 ^abc	19.11 ^abc	18.90 ^a
	4		18.79 ^abc	18.16 ^bc	20.05 ^a	19.00 ^a
Organic fertilizer			17.54 ^b	18.01^b	18.52 ^a	Seaweed extract
*Humicorganic fertilizer**		0	16.45 ^c	18.20 ^b	17.83 ^b
		2	17.64 ^b	17.70 ^b	18.41 ^b
		4	18.54 ^ab	18.12 ^b	19.32 ^a
*Seaweedorganic fertilizer**		0	16.43^c	17.51 ^b	18.26 ^b	0	17.40 ^b
		2	17.93 ^b	18.43 ^ab	18.06 ^b	2	18.14 ^a
		4	18.27 ^b	18.08 ^b	19.25 ^a	4	18.53 ^a

This means that the same letters are not significantly different from each other.

Table 2: Effect of humic acid, seaweed extract, and organic fertilizer on head diameter (cm) of broccoli cultivar (Agarssiz).

Humic acid ml. L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	Organic fertilizer tons. donum^-1			*Humicseaweed**		Humic acid
Humic acid ml. L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	0	5	10	*Humicseaweed**		Humic acid
0	0	16.89 ^egf	16.84 ^egf	18.23 ^e-f	17.32 ^c		17.52 ^b
	2	17.49 ^e-f	17.73 ^e-f	17.03 ^e-f	17.42 ^c
	4	17.90 ^e-f	18.01 ^e-f	17.56 ^e-f	17.82 ^c
2	0	16.91 ^egf	16.63 ^g	17.99 ^e-f	17.18 ^c		17.27 ^b
	2	16.46 ^g	16.92 ^e-f	16.96 ^e-f	16.78 ^d
	4	17.71 ^e-f	17.23 ^e-f	18.59 ^e-c	17.84 ^bc
4	0	18.11 ^e-f	18.44 ^e-f	19.11 ^ab	18.56 ^b		18.73 ^a
	2	18.31 ^e-f	18.72 ^b-c	19.15 ^ab	18.73 ^ab
	4	18.99 ^abc	17.76 ^e-f	19.96 ^a	18.90 ^a
Organic fertilizer		17.64 ^b	17.59 ^b	18.29 ^a	Seaweed extract
*Humicorganic fertilizer**	0	17.42 ^d	17.53 ^cd	17.61 ^cbd
	2	17.03 ^d	16.93 ^d	17.84 ^cbd
	4	18.47 ^b	18.31 ^bc	19.41 ^a
*seaweedorganic fertilizer**	0	17.30^c	17.31 ^c	18.44 ^ab	0	17.68 ^b
	2	17.42 ^c	17.79 ^bc	17.71 ^bc	2	17.64 ^b
	4	18.20 ^abc	17.67 ^c	18.70 ^a	4	18.19 ^a

Means with the same letter are not significantly different from each other3.4.

Table 3: Effect of humic acid, seaweed extract, and organic fertilizer on total soluble solids (TSS) % of broccoli cultivar (Agarssiz)

Humic acid ml.L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	Organic fertilizer tons. donum^-1			*Humicseaweed**	Humic acid
Humic acid ml.L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	0	5	10	*Humicseaweed**	Humic acid
0	0	7.00 ^h	7.77 ^e-f	8.23 ^e-f	7.66 ^c	8.27 ^b
	2	8.60 ^e-f	9.57 ^ab	8.90 ^e-f	9.02 ^a
	4	7.23 ^h	7.90 ^e-f	9.23 ^e-f	8.12 ^b
2	0	7.21 ^h	7.67 ^hg	8.80 ^e-f	7.89 ^b	8.63 ^ab
	2	8.37 ^e-f	9.07 ^e-f	8.70 ^e-f	8.71 ^b
	4	9.43 ^b-c	9.00 ^e-f	9.50 ^ac	9.31 ^a
4	0	8.70 ^e-f	9.47 ^b-c	7.97 ^e-f	8.71 ^b	8.85 ^a
	2	9.37 ^e-c	8.17 ^e-f	8.63 ^e-f	8.72 ^ab
	4	7.80 ^e-f	9.40 ^b-c	10.13 ^a	9.11 ^a
Organic fertilizer		8.19 ^b	8.67 ^ab	8.90 ^a	Seaweed extract
*Humicorganic fertilizer**	0	8.27 ^b	8.58 ^ab	8.91 ^a
	2	7.84 ^b	8.41^b	8.79 ^ab
	4	8.62 ^ab	9.00 ^b	9.01 ^a
*Seaweedorganic fertilizer**	0	7.80 ^c	8.30 ^bc	8.33 ^bc	0	8.14 ^b
	2	8.78 ^ab	8.93 ^ab	8.74 ^b	2	8.82 ^a
	4	8.16 ^c	8.77 _ab	9.62 ^a	4	8.85 ^a

This means that the same letters are not significantly different from each other.

Table 4: Effect of humic acid, seaweed extract, and organic fertilizer on ascorbic acid (%) of broccoli cultivar (Agarssiz)

Humic acid ml.L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	Organic fertilizer tons. donum^-1			*Humicseaweed**	Humic acid
Humic acid ml.L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	0	5	10	*Humicseaweed**	Humic acid
0	0	4.52 ^h	5.72 ^f-g	5.99 ^c-d	5.41 ^cd	5.43 ^b
	2	4.97 ^f-g	5.08 ^f-g	4.87 ^hg	4.97 ^d
	4	5.66 ^f-g	6.76 ^b	5.33 ^f-g	5.92 ^ab
2	0	5.90 ^f-d	4.48 ^h	4.47 ^h	4.95 ^d	5.44 ^b
	2	5.72 ^f-g	5.39 ^f-g	6.66 ^c	5.93 ^ab
	4	4.72 ^h	5.76 ^f-g	5.83 ^f-d	5.44 ^cd
4	0	6.74 ^b	5.93 ^f-d	4.93 ^f-g	5.87 ^b	5.91 ^a
	2	4.91 ^fhg	5.33 ^f-g	6.36 ^cbd	5.53 ^bc
	4	4.93 ^f-g	6.28 ^cbd	7.75 ^a	6.32 ^a
Organic fertilizer		5.34 ^b	5.64 ^ab	5.80 ^a	Seaweed extract
*Humicorganic fertilizer**	0	5.05 ^d	5.85 ^ab	5.40 ^cd
	2	5.45 ^bcd	5.21 ^d	5.65 ^bc
	4	5.53 ^bcd	5.84 ^b	6.34 ^a
*Seaweedorganic fertilizer**	0	5.72 ^c	5.38 ^dc	5.13 ^d	0	5.41 b
	2	5.20 ^d	5.27 ^dc	5.96 ^ab	2	5.48 ^b
	4	5.10 ^d	6.27 ^ab	6.30 ^a	4	5.89 ^a

Means with the same letters are not significantly different from each other.

Table 5: Effect of humic acid, seaweed extract, and organic fertilizer on vitamin B1 (µg.ml^-1) of broccoli cultivar (Agarssiz)

Humic acid ml. L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	Organic fertilizer tons. donum^-1			*Humicseaweed**	Humic acid
Humic acid ml. L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	0	5	10	*Humicseaweed**	Humic acid
0	0	13.65 ⁿ	15.73 ^kji	17.87 ^g-f	15.75 ^d	16.30 ^c
	2	16.00 ^lji	17.50 ^g-i	14.80 ^lnm	16.10 ^d
	4	18.20 ^g-f	17.43 ^ghi	15.57 ^lkm	17.07 ^c
2	0	16.17 l-i	20.77 ^b	19.17 ^ced	18.70 ^b	17.16 ^b
	2	14.20 n	14.63 ^nm	14.73 ^lnm	14.52 ^e
	4	15.63 ^l-m	18.97 ^c-d	20.20 ^cb	18.27 ^b
4	0	17.47 ^g-i	14.73 ^lnm	15.30 ^lnm	15.83^d	18.49 ^a
	2	18.50 ^gef	20.73 ^b	17.10 ^ghi	18.78 ^b
	4	18.80 ^g-d	20.07 ^cbd	23.70 ^a	20.86 ^a
Organic fertilizer		16.51 ^b	17.72 ^a	17.60 ^a	Seaweed extract
*Humicorganic fertilizer**	0	16.19 ^c	16.98 _b	16.08 ^c
	2	18.12 ^a	15.33 c	18.03 ^a
	4	18.51 ^a	18.26 ^a	18.70 ^a
*Seaweedorganic fertilizer**	0	16.38 ^de	16.79 ^d	17.44 ^c	0	16.87 ^b
	2	17.62 ^c	16.23 ^e	15.54 ^e	2	16.47 ^b
	4	18.82^b	17.54 ^c	19.82 ^a	4	18.73 ^a

Means with the same letters are not significantly different from each other.

Table 6: Effect of humic acid, seaweed extract, and organic fertilizer on total carotene (vitamin A) µg. L^-1of broccoli cultivar (Agarssiz)

Humic acid ml. L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	Organic fertilizer tons. donum^-1			*Humicseaweed**	Humic acid
Humic acid ml. L^-1	Seaweed extract ml. L^-1	0	5	10	*Humicseaweed**	Humic acid
0	0	13.49 ^k	19.74 ^f-g	22.71 ^bdc	18.65 ^cd	19.12 ^b
	2	15.29 ^k	19.05 ^f-g	20.69 ^f-g	18.35 ^d
	4	16.67^ij	21.12 ^f-g	23.32 ^ab	20.37 ^cb
2	0	19.57 ^f-g	21.81 ^f-c	19.04 ^f-g	20.14 ^cd	19.88 ^b
	2	22.06 ^b-c	23.02 ^abc	17.61 ^ijh	20.90 ^b
	4	16.40 ^jk	17.35 ^ij	22.09 ^b-c	18.61 ^d
4	0	20.49 ^f-g	18.72 ^f-g	17.73 ^ijh	18.98 ^cd	20.37 ^a
	2	19.66 ^f-g	18.50 ^i-g	19.11 ^f-g	19.09 ^cd
	4	22.62 ^bdc	20.78 ^f-g	25.69 ^a	23.03 ^a
Organic fertilizer		18.47 ^b	20.01 ^a	20.89 ^a	Seaweed extract
*Humicorganic fertilizer**	0	15.15 ^c	19.97 ^b	22.24 ^a
	2	19.34 ^b	20.72 ^ab	19.58 ^b
	4	20.93 ^ab	19.33 ^b	20.84 ^ab
*Seaweedorganic fertilizer**	0	17.85 ^d	20.09 ^cb	19.83 ^cb	0	19.26 ^b
	2	19.01 ^cd	20.19 ^b	19.14 ^cbd	2	19.44 ^b
	4	18.57 ^d	19.75 ^cb	23.70 ^a	4	20.67 ^a

Means with the same letters are not significantly different from each other.

4. DISCUSSION

The study's results revealed that the foliar addition of humic acid, seaweed extract, and soil application of organic fertilizers, either individually or in combination, caused a statistically significant amelioration in the yield qualitative characteristics of broccoli cultivar (Agarssiz) over the control.

The increased yield quality by humic acid may refer to the advantageous role of such bio-stimulants in elevating cell membrane permeability. On the other hand, Humic acid plays a vital role in plant growth by promoting various enzymatic reactions, enhancing cell division and elongation, raising the amount of plant enzymes, and making vitamins active inside cells which positively affect plant yield and quality (Alfatlawi1 and Alrubaiee, 2020). Furthermore, the potassium and calcium content in the plant can be effectively ameliorated by the addition of humate substances thereby increasing the fruit goodness. The same results were found by Al-jaf et al. (2018) and Rachid et al. (2020) who demonstrated that the application of humic acid on cauliflower led to the production of the maximum floral diameter (cm) and head biochemical content as compared to the control.

The analyzed data respective to the influence of seaweed extract on head quality showed a prominent act of seaweed on qualitative traits of broccoli. This might be due to the existence of microelements and plant growth regulators especially cytokinin and gibberellin contained in seaweed extract. It assists in raising the enzymatic activity of plants which leads to more metabolic reactions and biosynthesis of carbohydrates resulting in improved yield quality. Furthermore, the seaweed extract applied to the foliage can have a great effect on root proliferation which in turn increases the uptake of essential nutrients like N, P, Ca, and S required for the improvement of yield quality (Selvakumari1 and Venkatesan, 2017; Baldaniya et al., 2023). The study findings agree with that of Manea & Abbas (2018) on broccoli and Godlewska et al. (2021) on cabbage crop stating that the foliar spraying of seaweeds significantly improved mineral composition and yield quality traits like head length, head diameter, vitamin C, and carotenoids as compared to control.

The increase in yield quality attributes due to the application of organic manure could contribute to the beneficial impact of fertilizer on the physical and chemical features of soil via bettering soil drainage, and aeration and enhancing soil capability to retain water. Moreover, organic manure is capable of stimulating the efficacy of premium organic nutrient utilization which might refer to the quick biodegradation of organic substances, which could have supplied micro and macro nutrients more easily to the plant, thus supporting the nutrients and mineral levels in plant parts. (Mathukiya et al., 2023). Our findings are consistent with that of Hammad et al. (2019) and Yoldas et al. (2020) on broccoli who indicated that soil application of animal manures significantly improved head diameter and length and qualitative traits of broccoli as compared to control.

CONCLUSION

The increased human population and the raised environmental pollution necessitate more use of agricultural land to meet food security. Therefore, more attention has been paid to the utilization of natural sustainable inputs as an alternative to the application of chemical fertilizers that deteriorate the soil architecture and adversely impact environmental health. The study outcomes displayed that the foliar spraying of bio-stimulants and soil addition of organic manure, especially at high doses significantly increased the qualitative attributes of broccoli yield in comparison with control. Hence, humic acid, seaweed extract, and organic manure are recommended for the organic production of broccoli crops with further investigations being implemented on more vegetables in Dohuk province.

Declaration

I declare that this research manuscript was prepared by me and the work displayed herein is my own, and that this work did not undergo submitted previously for any other degree or professional qualification. The collaborative contributions have been illustrated clearly and acknowledged.

Acknowledgment

I would like to offer my gratitude to my supervisor for his continuous support and contribution in preparing this manuscript. Special thanks go to the deanery of the faculty of science, university of Zakho for its appreciative assistance and support offered to me for this paper to be accomplished.

Author Contribution

The research paper framework is carried out by the main author from the work field to data analysis and manuscript writing, whereas the coauthor supervised and contributed to the revision of the manuscript.

REFERENCES

Al Bandawi B R B, (2017). The effect of organic fertilization, sources of phosphate fertilizers, and quantity of irrigation water on the concentration of nitrogen and potassium of maize DASJ 9(1) pp 291-203. DOI: http://148.72.244.84/xmlui/handle/xmlui/5817.

Al-Birmani K A (2017). Effect of organic waste and seaweed extract on the growth and yield of broccoli Thesis College of Agriculture Al Qasim Green University.

Alfatlawi, Z. H. Ch. and Alrubaiee S. H. A. (2020). Effect Of Spraying Different Concentrations Of Humic Acid On The Growth And Yield Of Wheat Crop (IPA 99 Cultivar) In Different Stages, Plant Archives Vol. 20( 2): 1517-1521.

Baldaniya JK, Panchal BH, Rathod MB, Macwan SJ (2023). Effect of biostimulants on growth and quality of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) cv. Pusa KTS-1. Pharma Innovation;12(5):667-670. DOI: www.thepharmajournal.com.

Battacharyya, D.; Babgohari, M.Z.; Rathor, P.; Prithiviraj, B.(2015). Seaweed extracts as biostimulants in horticulture. Sci. Hortic. 196, 39–48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.09.012.

Begum, M.; B.C. Bordoloi ; D.D. Singha and N.J. Ojha (2018). Role of seaweed extract on growth, yield, and quality of some agricultural crops: A review. Agric. Rev., 39(4): 321-326. doi: 10.18805/ag.R-1838

Du Jardin, P. (2015). Plant biostimulants: Definition, concept, main categories and regulation. Scientia horticulturae, 196, 3-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.09.021

El-Mesairy, M., Ramadan M., Ramadan E., Shalaby, O. A., (2022). Effect of Sheep Manure And Sulfur on Growth And Yield of Potato Under Saline Conditions. Future J. Hort., 4 (1): 36-46. DOI:10.37229/fsa.fjh.2022.12.19

Farid, M. N., Kobir, M. S., Obaidullah, A. J. M., Haque, M. E., Islam, M. R. and Mondal, M. F., (2023). Effects of different manures and fertilizers on growth and yield of tomato. Asian Journal of Crop, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 08(01), 299-307. DOI:10.18801/ajcsp.080123.37

Godlewska K, Pacyga P, Michalak I, Biesiada A, Szumny A, Pachura N, Piszcz U., (2021). Effect of Botanical Extracts on the Growth and Nutritional Quality of Field-Grown White Head Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). Molecules. Vol. 26(7): 1–33. DOI: https://doi. org/ 10.3390 / molecules26071992

Hammad, H. S., Al-Mandalawi, A. A. M. and Hamdi, Gh. J., (2019). Effect of manure on growth and yield of broccoli, International journal of vegetable science, vol. 25, No. 4, 400–406. DOI:10.1080/19315260.2018.1543223

Manea, A. I., & Abbas, K. A. U. (2018). Influence of seaweed extract, organic and inorganic fertilizer on growth and yield broccoli. International journal of vegetable science, 24(6), 550-556. DOI:10.1080/19315260.2018.1446205

Mohammed, M. O., & Sarhan, T. Z. (2023). Effect Of Algae Seaweed, Urtica Dioica And Zinc Sulfate On Some Yield Quality And Chemical Parameters Of Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea Var. Italica) Plant. Journal of Duhok University, 26(2), 34-43. https://doi.org/10.26682/ajuod.2023.26.2.4

Ordiales, E., Iglesias, D. J., Alarcón, M. V., Zajara, L., Gil, J., Gutiérrez, J. I., & Salguero, J. (2017). Characteristics defining broccoli cultivars from different seed producers. International Journal of Agronomy, 2017. DOI:10.1155/2017/8216390

Rachid, A. F., Rahem Bader, B., Al-Alawy, H. H., (2020). Effect of foliar application of humic acid and nanocalcium on some growth, production, and photosynthetic pigments of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis) planted in calcareous soil. Plant archives, Vol. 20(1): 32–37. DOI: http://www.plantarchives.org/SPECIAL%20ISSUE%2020-1/932-3.pdf

Rodriguez-Casado, A. (2016). The health potential of fruits and vegetables phytochemicals: notable examples. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 56(7), 1097-1107. DOI:10.1080/10408398.2012.755149

Saloom, Y. F., and Al- Sahaf, F.H., (2016). Role of Organic and Mineral Fertilization and Soil Mulching on Quality Characteristics of Broccoli. The Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 74: (Special Issue): 19-14. DOI: https://new.ddl.ae/book/5322480

Selvakumari1, P. and Venkatesan, K (2017). Seasonal Influence of Seaweed Gel on Growth and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) Hybrid COTH 2. Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci, 6(9): 55-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.609.006

Weber, C. F. (2017). Broccoli microgreens: A mineral-rich crop that can diversify food systems. Frontiers in nutrition, 4(7), 1-9. DOI:10.3389/fnut.2017.00007

Yoldas, F., Ceylan, S., and Elmaci, O. L., (2020). Effects of Animal Manures On Yield Quality and Nutrient Content in Organic Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica). Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 18(3): 4273- 4281. DOI:10.15666/aeer/1803_42734281

Canellas, L. P., Canellas, N. O. A., Luiz Eduardo, L. E. S., Olivares, F. L., and Piccolo, A. (2020). Plant chemical priming by humic acids. Chem. Biol. Technol. Agric. 7, 12. DOI: 10.1186/s40538-020-00178-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-020-00178-4

Yasir, N. F., Seheib. M.W., Hasan, O. A. (2016). Effect Of Adding Different Organic Fertilizers In The Absorption Of Some Of Nutrient Elements From Soil In Properties Of Plant Growth And Yield Of Cucumber Plant. Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, Volume 9, Issue 5 Ver. I, PP 13-17. DOI:10.9790/2380-0905011317

Mukherjee, A., and Patel, J. S. (2020). Seaweed extract: biostimulator of plant defense and plant productivity. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Tech. 17, 553–558. DOI:10.1007/s13762-019-02442-z

Rouphael, Y., De Micco, V., Arena, C., Raimondi, G., Colla, G., and De Pascale, S. (2017). Effect of Ecklonia maxima seaweed extract on yield, mineral composition, gas exchange, and leaf anatomy of zucchini squash grown under saline conditions. J. Appl. Phycol. 29, 459–470. DOI:10.1007/s10811-016-0937-x

* Corresponding author

This is an open access under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)