Qualitative traits of two types of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and their content of medically active substance sulforaphane in response to treatments with zeolite and nano-potassium

Abstract

The experiment was carried out in the agricultural fields of the College of Agriculture/ University of Kerbala, during the winter agricultural season 2022-2023. The experiment included adding three levels of zeolite 0, 10, and 20 t ha^-1 (Z0, Z1, Z2) and spraying three concentrations of nano-potassium 0, 1, 2 g L^-1 (K0, K1, K2), and the treatments were applied on two types of radish, the Spanish black radish (B) and the local red radish (R), according to a factorial experiment with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed a significant effect of zeolite and nano-potassium, either alone or in combination, in improving the chemical content of the two types of radish The treatment BZ1K1 was superior in both the percentage of carbohydrates in the roots 5.19% and the content of the roots of sulphate 68.00 mg 100g^-1, while the treatment BZ2K1 had a significant effect on the content of the roots of the medically active substance sulforaphane, reaching 12.36 μg ml^-1. It can be concluded from this study that, in order to confront the environmental pollution, it is possible to rely on natural soil conditioners such as natural zeolite and reduce the quantities of added fertilizers through the optimal use of nano-fertilizers, but their long-term environmental and health effects should be concerned.