The Effect of Biofertilizers and Seaweed Extract on the Activity of Cellulase Enzyme and β-Glucosidase in Soil Planted with Broccoli Plants

Abstract

Abstract The research aims to study the effect of biofertilizers and seaweed extract on the effectiveness of the cellulase enzyme and β-glucosidase for the flowering and full maturity stages in soil planted with broccoli plants. The experiment was carried out in one of the fields located in the Al-Nouriya district of Al-Diwaniyah Governorate for the 2023 season in soil with a mixture clay-silty texture, a factorial experiment was carried out according to a randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D) with three replications. The first factor included adding biofertilizers (Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria and Trichoderma harzianum fungus), which are coded (B and F) respectively, the second factor is adding organic fertilizers at one level (10 tons ha−1) (yellow corn cobs, rice straw, and wheat waste) coded (O1, O2, and O3), respectively, the third factor included adding two levels of seaweed extract (20 and 40) kg ha−1, coded (A1 and A2), respectively, in addition to the comparison treatment (without adding fertilizer). The effect of fertilizers differed significantly on enzyme activity, as the (FO1) treatment achieved the highest activity for the cellulase enzyme for the flowering and full maturity stages, amounting to (227.1 and 264.3) µg geq g−1 dwt 24h−1, respectively, compared to the comparison treatment, which recorded the lowest effectiveness (209.4 and 215.0) µg geq. g−1 dwt 24h−1 sequentially, (BO1) recorded the highest activity of the β-glucosidase enzyme, amounting to (120.3 and 134.5) µg PNP g−1 dwt 1h−1 for the flowering and full maturity stages compared to the comparison treatment, which recorded the lowest effectiveness (106.4 and 119.7) µg PNP g−1 dwt 1h−1µ sequentially.