Improvement of (Eruca sativa Mill) yield, oil, chemical constituents and antioxidant activity utilizing a by-product of yeast production (CMS) with zinc and boron under salinity stress conditions

Abstract

The impact of low-quality irrigation water on plant development has garnered significant attention from researchers. In light of this, two field experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance, yield, oil production and composition, as well as active constituents of Rocket (Eruca sativa Mill) cultivated in calcareous soil under saline water irrigation. Foliar sprays containing condensed molasses soluble (CMS), zinc (Zn), and boron (B) alone or in combination were used for irrigation. The data obtained from measuring various parameters of Rocket following foliar spraying with CMS, Zn, B or their combinations demonstrated that most treatments resulted in a significant increase in these parameters. The highest values for most measurements were observed when foliar application included all three components (CMS ​+ ​Zn ​+ ​B), resulting in a seed yield of 184.6 ​g/m2 and an oil content of 675.3 ​kg/ha. Compared to the control group, the macronutrient content of N, P, K, Mg, and Ca increased by 34.4%, 56%, 42%, 45%, and 39% respectively in the seeds treated with these components. Furthermore, carbohydrates, proteins, phenolics flavonoids, and antioxidants showed increases of 24%, 34%, 21%, 43%, and 28% respectively compared to the control group. Gas-liquid chromatography analysis identified ten components present in the seed oil characterized by higher unsaturated fatty acids ranging from 81.28% to 92.28% and lower saturated fatty acids ranging from 6.72% to 8.21%. Therefore, foliar spray application including CMS, zinc, and boron can help alleviate salinity effects on Rocket plants grown under saline water irrigation conditions while improving growth, yield, oil production, and nutritional content such as total carbohydrates, proteins, and macronutrients levels.