Effects of soil amendments with green biomass on quality indices of coriander

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporating green manure, in equal proportions of Merremia aegyptia (hairy woodrose) and Calotropis procera (roostertree) biomass, at varying rates (16, 29, 42, 55, and 68 t ha-1 dry weight) on the quality of coriander shoots grown in a single season under semi-arid conditions. A randomized block design with five treatments and five replicates was employed. A control treatment with coriander without fertilizer was included for comparison. The coriander cultivar ('Verdão') was evaluated for nutritional quality (pH, soluble solids [SS], titratable acidity [TA], SS/TA ratio, total soluble sugar [TSS], vitamin C [VC], and pigment content [chlorophyll 'a' and 'b', total chlorophyll, and carotenoids]). The incorporation of 25.10 and 51.36 t ha-1 of the green manure mixture resulted in coriander with the maximum flavor efficiency (10.43 °Brix/% malic acid) and total soluble sugar content (3.71 °Brix). Higher concentrations of vitamin C (69.19 mg 100 g-1), chlorophyll 'a' (0.69 mg g-1), chlorophyll 'b' (0.16 mg g-1), total chlorophyll (0.84 mg g-1), and carotenoids (0.19 mg g-1) were achieved with applications of 48.71, 56.73, 53.52, 57.04, and 42.08 t ha-1 of the green manure mixture, respectively.