Improving productivity and quality of roselle plant (<em>Hibiscus sabdariffa</em> L.) by adopt environmentally friendly organic fertilization practices

Author : Abeer M.O. Shoeip and Samia M. Abd-El Hameed

Hibiscus plant (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) belongs to the family Malvaceae. Plant is a valuable
medicinal crop rich in phytochemicals compounds with nutritional and medicinal properties cultivated in arid
and semi-arid regions. In Egypt, roselle plant has unparalleled health and economic benefits. Roselle plants
cultivated under upper Egypt conditions with low water and nutrients requirements. A field experiment was
conducted at the experimental station of Elkanater Elkhairia, Qalyubia, Governorate, Egypt, during two
successive growing seasons of 2017 and 2018. To study the effects of using some organic fertilizers as compost,
compost-tea, potassium humat with a mixture of bio-fertilizers containing non-symbiotic nitrogen fixers
(Azotobacter chrococcum and Azospirillum lipoferum) and phosphate dissolving bacteria (Bacillus megaterium)
as an alternative to chemical fertilizers as they increase sustainable soil fertility by adopt environmentally
friendly organic fertilization practices. Obtained results showed that, the organic - bio fertilizer treatments were
significantly increase the vegetative growth parameters (number of branches/ plant, number of fruits/plant,
sepals fresh weight/plant and sepals dry weight /plant.) and quality parameters such as chemical compositions
(total chlorophylls, total carbohydrates contents, total phenol compounds, flavonoids, antioxidant activity %,
ascorbic acid g./100g and anthocyanin content and acidity% as well as N, P and K%) compared to the ordinary
mineral fertilizers are not environmental friendly. The highest values were recorded by the treatment of
biofertilizers plus potassium humat and compost-tea, while the control treatments were giving the lowest values
during the two growing seasons.

Keywords : Hibiscus, Compost, Compost tea, Potassium humat, Biofertilizers, Quality.,

Received:8/20/2022 12:00:00 AM; Accepted: 10/25/2022 12:00:00 AM