Humic acid as a growth booster: Evaluating its synergistic influence on three red radish varieties

Abstract

The study focused on investigating the effects of varying levels of HA (HA1 = 0, HA2 = 25, HA3 = 50, HA4 = 75, and HA5 = 100) on Red Dragon, Red Prince, and Red Meat varieties of red radish. This analysis aimed to unravel the relationship between different levels of HA and their impact on the growth and productivity of red radish genotypes. The findings revealed that the Red Prince genotype attained the utmost plant height of 24.00 cm, an average of 7.50 leaves per plant, a leaf area of 23.11 cm2, a canopy cover of 26.76%, a leaf chlorophyll content of 54.60%, a leaf fresh weight of 41.16 g, a leaf dry weight of 8.20 g, a root length measuring 9.73 cm, a root diameter of 3.19 mm, a root fresh weight of 27.60 g, a root dry weight of 6.75 g, and a remarkable total yield of 17.93 tons per hectare. The implications of this study are poised to benefit farmers within the Dera Ismail Khan Region, specifically in the plain areas of Pakistan, by promoting the cultivation of the Red Prince variety.