Organic Medium Enclosed Trough Growing Technique Improves <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> (Okra) Growth, Yield and Some Nutritional Components
Okra (<i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i>) is an important vegetable that has been indigenized in African countries where it is consumed as a relish. There is still, however, a lack of documented cultivation techniques for better yields. An organic medium-enclosed trough (OMET) system is a gro...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/9/5645 |
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| author | Tyson T. Mokgalabone Semakaleng Mpai Ashwell R. Ndhlala |
| author_facet | Tyson T. Mokgalabone Semakaleng Mpai Ashwell R. Ndhlala |
| author_sort | Tyson T. Mokgalabone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Okra (<i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i>) is an important vegetable that has been indigenized in African countries where it is consumed as a relish. There is still, however, a lack of documented cultivation techniques for better yields. An organic medium-enclosed trough (OMET) system is a growing technique that has been developed to reduce water and nutrient seepage during plant production. The study objectives evaluated the effect of OMET on the growth, yield, and nutritional attributes of okra. A complete randomized block design was established to accommodate the two treatments: OMET and non-OMET, in a micro-plot under field conditions. The stem diameter and plant height were recorded weekly during plant growth, and a clear increasing trend in OMET over non-OMET was observed from week 4 of transplantation. The OMET growing technique significantly increased the stem diameter and plant height by 37 and 48%, respectively. When evaluating the yield attributes, a similar trend was observed, where the OMET system significantly increased the yield attributes of okra as follows: biomass by 50%, the number of branches by 50%, the number of pods per plant by 49%, fresh pod weight by 53%, and pod length by 51%, while there was no significant difference in pod diameter width. Non-essential amino acids compounds, including arginine, serine, glycine, aspartate acid, glutamic acid, alanine, and proline and essential amino acids, including histidine, threonine, methionine, lysine, tyrosine, leucine, phenylalanine, asparagine and glutamine, were highly maintained in OMET compared to non-OMET. OMET enhanced the upregulation of proteins, Ca, Mg, K, Mn, Na, P and Zn elemental nutrients in the disposal of less irrigation water than non-OMET. This growing technique could be recommended for small-scale and commercial farming to improve the okra production of nutrition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:23:13Z |
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| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:23:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-6364d89a432b4e69a005596560beb0a72023-11-17T22:36:52ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172023-05-01139564510.3390/app13095645Organic Medium Enclosed Trough Growing Technique Improves <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> (Okra) Growth, Yield and Some Nutritional ComponentsTyson T. Mokgalabone0Semakaleng Mpai1Ashwell R. Ndhlala2Green Biotechnologies Research Centre of Excellence, Department of Plant Production, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga 0727, South AfricaGreen Biotechnologies Research Centre of Excellence, Department of Plant Production, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga 0727, South AfricaGreen Biotechnologies Research Centre of Excellence, Department of Plant Production, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga 0727, South AfricaOkra (<i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i>) is an important vegetable that has been indigenized in African countries where it is consumed as a relish. There is still, however, a lack of documented cultivation techniques for better yields. An organic medium-enclosed trough (OMET) system is a growing technique that has been developed to reduce water and nutrient seepage during plant production. The study objectives evaluated the effect of OMET on the growth, yield, and nutritional attributes of okra. A complete randomized block design was established to accommodate the two treatments: OMET and non-OMET, in a micro-plot under field conditions. The stem diameter and plant height were recorded weekly during plant growth, and a clear increasing trend in OMET over non-OMET was observed from week 4 of transplantation. The OMET growing technique significantly increased the stem diameter and plant height by 37 and 48%, respectively. When evaluating the yield attributes, a similar trend was observed, where the OMET system significantly increased the yield attributes of okra as follows: biomass by 50%, the number of branches by 50%, the number of pods per plant by 49%, fresh pod weight by 53%, and pod length by 51%, while there was no significant difference in pod diameter width. Non-essential amino acids compounds, including arginine, serine, glycine, aspartate acid, glutamic acid, alanine, and proline and essential amino acids, including histidine, threonine, methionine, lysine, tyrosine, leucine, phenylalanine, asparagine and glutamine, were highly maintained in OMET compared to non-OMET. OMET enhanced the upregulation of proteins, Ca, Mg, K, Mn, Na, P and Zn elemental nutrients in the disposal of less irrigation water than non-OMET. This growing technique could be recommended for small-scale and commercial farming to improve the okra production of nutrition.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/9/5645amino acidsokramicro-plotplant growth and yield |
| spellingShingle | Tyson T. Mokgalabone Semakaleng Mpai Ashwell R. Ndhlala Organic Medium Enclosed Trough Growing Technique Improves <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> (Okra) Growth, Yield and Some Nutritional Components Applied Sciences amino acids okra micro-plot plant growth and yield |
| title | Organic Medium Enclosed Trough Growing Technique Improves <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> (Okra) Growth, Yield and Some Nutritional Components |
| title_full | Organic Medium Enclosed Trough Growing Technique Improves <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> (Okra) Growth, Yield and Some Nutritional Components |
| title_fullStr | Organic Medium Enclosed Trough Growing Technique Improves <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> (Okra) Growth, Yield and Some Nutritional Components |
| title_full_unstemmed | Organic Medium Enclosed Trough Growing Technique Improves <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> (Okra) Growth, Yield and Some Nutritional Components |
| title_short | Organic Medium Enclosed Trough Growing Technique Improves <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> (Okra) Growth, Yield and Some Nutritional Components |
| title_sort | organic medium enclosed trough growing technique improves i abelmoschus esculentus i okra growth yield and some nutritional components |
| topic | amino acids okra micro-plot plant growth and yield |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/9/5645 |
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