Abstract

Author:
Fatma S. Aboud

Doi: 10.26480/trab.01.2025.30.37

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) is a nutrient-rich crop whose productivity is often limited by poor soil conditions and excessive chemical fertilizer use. This study investigated the effects of foliar-applied phytohormones (salicylic acid [SA], methyl jasmonate [MeJA]) and biostimulants (humic acid [HA], fulvic acid [FA]) on red cabbage growth, yield, and nutritional quality under two substrate conditions (sand [M1] and sand-vermicompost [M2, 80:20 v/v]). A two-season (2022/2023-2023/2024) greenhouse experiment employed a split-plot design with three replications. Results showed that M2 substrate combined with MeJA (3 mg/L) significantly increased plant height (45.5 cm vs. 33.8 cm in control), head weight (1257 g vs. 505 g), and yield (3.18 kg/plant vs. 1.75 kg). MeJA also enhanced nutritional quality, elevating ascorbic acid (58.9 mg/100g), anthocyanin (366 mg/100g), and protein (19.5%) while reducing nitrates (488 ppm vs. 788 ppm). These findings demonstrate that integrating vermicompost with MeJA optimizes red cabbage production sustainably, reducing reliance on synthetic inputs.