Biofortification through foliar micronutrient application affects yield, nutritional quality and economic returns in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.)

Downloads

Published

2026-06-30

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58993/ijh/2026.83.2.4

Keywords:

Cabbage, micronutrients, , foliar nutrition, agronomic biofortification, yield, quality, economics
Dimensions Badge

Issue

Vol. 83 No. 02 (2026): Indian Journal of Horticulture

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Imamsaheb S. J., Raveendra S. J., Hanchinamani C. N., Patil A. G.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors

  • Imamsaheb S. J. Head, AICRP Tuber Crops, Regional Horticultural Research and Extension Centre, Dharwad 580005, Karnataka, India
  • Raveendra S. J. Special officer Seed Unit, UHS, Bagalkot
  • Hanchinamani C. N. Dean, College of Horticulture, Mysore,
  • Patil A. G. Professor of Agronomy, MHREC, UHS, Bagalkot College of Horticulture, Bagalkot, UHS, Bagalkot (Karnataka), India.

Abstract

Cabbage though nutritionally rich, often lacks adequate micronutrient enrichment under conventional
cultivation. A field experiment conducted during rabi 2020 and 2021 at the College of Horticulture, Bidar (UHS
Bagalkot), evaluated foliar application of ZnSO4, FeSO4, MgSO4 and calcium nitrate under a Randomized Complete
Block Design (11 treatments, 3 replications). Micronutrients were applied individually and in combinations at 30,
45 and 60 days after transplanting along with recommended fertilizers. Results showed significant improvements
in growth, yield, quality and economic returns. The combined application of ZnSO4 + FeSO4 + MgSO4 + calcium
nitrate at lower concentrations (T9) recorded the highest head yield (32.41 t ha-¹), vitamin C (35.17 mg 100 g-¹),
protein (5.57%) and net returns (₹1.27 lakh ha-¹). Among individual treatments, FeSO4 at 1% (T6) produced
superior yield (27.13 t ha-¹). The study confirms that foliar-based agronomic biofortification effectively enhances
productivity, nutritional quality and profitability of cabbage.

How to Cite

S. J., I., S. J., R., C. N., H., & A. G., P. (2026). Biofortification through foliar micronutrient application affects yield, nutritional quality and economic returns in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.). Indian Journal of Horticulture, 83(02), 153–160. https://doi.org/10.58993/ijh/2026.83.2.4

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alloway, B. J. 2008. Zinc in soils and crop nutrition (2nd ed.). International Zinc Association and International Fertilizer Industry Association, Brussels, Belgium.

Arnon, D. I. 1949. Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts: Polyphenol oxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiology, 24: 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.24.1.1.

Cakmak, I. 2008. Enrichment of cereal grains with zinc: Agronomic or genetic biofortification Plant and Soil, 302: 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9466-3.

Das, D. K. Saha, A. R. and Saha, S. 2018. Response of cole crops to foliar application of micronutrients. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 75: 345-50.

Dwivedi, A. Singh, R. and Tiwari, S. 2020. Foliar application of micronutrients enhances growth, yield and quality of cole crops. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 43: 2005-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2020.1744653.

FAO. (2021). FAOSTAT statistical database. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/faostat.

Gomez, K. A. and Gomez, A. A. 198). Statistical procedures for agricultural research (2nd ed.). John Wiley and Sons, New York.

Jackson, M. L. 1973. Soil chemical analysis. Prentice-Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

Kumar, M. Singh, V. and Yadav, R. K. 201. Effect of micronutrient sprays on growth, yield and quality of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis). Vegetable Science, 44: 175-80.

Mengel, K. and Kirkby, E. A. 2001. Principles of plant nutrition (5th ed.). Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

Piper, C. S. 1966. Soil and plant analysis. Hans Publishers, Bombay.

Ramesh, K. Patil, P. and Singh, R. 2018. Role of zinc and boron in improving productivity and quality of cole crops. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 7: 3125–37.

Singh, R. Dwivedi, A. and Tiwari, S. 2019. Influence of micronutrient foliar feeding on yield and quality of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica). Indian Journal of Horticulture, 76: 123-28.

Singh, S. Kumar, P. and Meena, R. S. 2020. Micronutrient foliar nutrition for quality enhancement of leafy and cole crops. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 43: 1441-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2020.1711947.

Wang, X. Fan, X. and Yuan, Y. 2019. Nutritional composition and health benefits of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata). Food Chemistry, 289:443-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.03.081.

World Health Organization. 2020. Micronutrient deficiencies: Iron, zinc and vitamin A. Geneva: WHO.

Similar Articles

<< < 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.