Abstract
Wood vinegar is formed by the condensation of smoke produced during the production of biochar. It mainly contains acetic acid, butyric acid, catechol, and phenol. Wood vinegar has a compound effect of promoting crop growth similar to plant growth regulators and is environmentally friendly. Moreover, it can enhance the biological and abiotic resistance of crops. In this study, foliar spraying was carried out systematically in the field with the hybrid variety of Huayouza 9 for two years to study the effects of wood vinegar and its compounds on the growth of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). We applied four treatments with tap water as a control (CK), namely wood vinegar diluted 400-fold (M), M mixed with gibberellin (T1), M mixed with sodium D-gluconate (T2), and M mixed with melatonin (T3). They were sprayed in the seedling stage and overwintering stage, respectively. The results showed that the seed yield, the leaf area index, and the number of pods per plant of rapeseed treated with M increased by an average of 9.58%, 23.45%, and 23.80% in two years as compared to the CK, respectively. Compared with M, the seed yield of rapeseed treated with T1, T2, and T3 increased by an average of 7.88%, 6.90%, and 1.32% in two years, respectively. The treatments also improved the quality of rapeseed. In particular, the glucosinolate content of rapeseed treated with T2 and T3 decreased by an average of 12.83% and 6.72% in two years compared to the CK, respectively. The four treatments selected in the current study improved the resistance of rapeseed at the low temperature of 2–6 °C by increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase and proline and soluble protein contents, as compared to the CK. Besides, all treatments containing M reduced the incidence of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Peronospora parasitica (downy mildew) in rapeseed. More specifically, the T3 treatment significantly decreased the infection rate of these two diseases mentioned above by an average of 17.33% and 12.14% in two years compared to the CK, respectively. Therefore, the study and application of wood vinegar due to its compound effects on crop growth and yield is of great importance to sustainable agriculture, crop ecology, and environmental protection.
Highlights
Rapeseed is the fourth largest crop after rice, corn, and wheat, and it is the essential raw material for edible oil grown in China
Our results demonstrated that the combination of wood vinegar and gibberellin has the best effect on rapeseed yield among the three combinations
The application of wood vinegar could delay the shedding and senescence of leaves in the pod stage, facilitating the accumulation of dry matter and transportation to fruiting organs during the later growth stage. It significantly increased the number of effective pods and seed yield of rapeseed
Summary
Rapeseed is the fourth largest crop after rice, corn, and wheat, and it is the essential raw material for edible oil grown in China. Compared with some high-yield countries in Europe, our country’s oil production is relatively low [1]. Chinese scientists have been committed to coordinating the environment and cultivation measures to increase the yield of rapeseed in recent years. The application of plant growth regulators is an important control measure to achieve robust growth and a high yield of rapeseed [2]. There are more than 30 kinds of plant growth regulators currently allowed in China. They can be divided into three categories according to their functions: plant growth
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