Majd Mohammad Darwish*⁽¹⁾ Nizar Ali Moualla⁽¹⁾ and Ali Sami Foiti⁽¹⁾

(1). Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Majd Darwish. E-Mail: majds26@yahoo.com).

Received:28/04/2022          Accepted: 3/07/2022

Abstract: 

The research was carried out at Ain Al-Arous village in Lattakia governorate during the agricultural season 2021 by the cultivation of tobacco (Nicotiana rustica L.) seedlings in experimental plots, according to the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The objective of this research was to study the effect of foliar spraying treatments with soluble potassium sulfate (0, 6, 12 and 18 kg/ha) or with glycine betaine GB (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM), or spraying with potassium fertilizer and glycine betaine together on some growth characteristics and productivity and quality traits of the studied variety. So, the plant height (cm), and a number of morphysiological (plant leaf area (cm²) and leaf area index (LAI)), the productivity (fresh and dry leaves yield (kg/1000 m²), and the total content of chlorophyll (µg/g FW), soluble sugars, proteins and nicotine % were measured. Potassium spray treatments, especially at concentrations 6 and 12 kg/ha, and spraying with glycine betaine (150 mM) led to a significant increase (P<0.05) in most of growth indicators and leaf yield, as well as increasing of soluble sugars % and decreasing of proteins and nicotine % in dry leaves. Also, potassium and glycine betaine spraying together showed a significant improvement in the growth, productivity and quality of tobacco leaves when spraying with potassium (6 kg/ha) under all treatments of spraying with glycine betaine (50, 100 and 150 mM). Thus, it can be suggested to spray Nicotiana rustica L. variety  with potassium sulfate at 6-12 kg/ha alone or with glycine betaine at a concentration of 50-100 mM, or spraying with glycine betaine at 150 mM alone due to their observed role in stimulating the plant growth and increasing leaf yield quantitatively and qualitatively.

Keywords: Nicotiana rustica L.; Potassium sulfate; Glycine betaine; Productivity.

Full paper in Arabic: pdf