Document Type : Research paper
Authors
1
Department of Horticulture and Its Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, Foods and Environment, Sana’a University, Sana’a P.O. Box 1247, Yemen.
2
Department of Horticulture and its Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, Foods and Environment, Sana’a University, Sana’a, Yemen
10.22059/ijhst.2025.377391.859
Abstract
Plant extracts, derived from natural sources, are widely used as cost-effective biostimulants to enhance plant growth. In this study, various plant extracts, including aqueous and ethanolic extracts from different parts of Moringa oleifera (leaves, flowers, and seeds), as well as aqueous extracts from prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), red beetroot (Beta vulgaris), and carrot root (Daucus carota L.), were used to prime seeds of three Yemeni hot pepper genotypes (Zaaitri, Haimi, and Dhamari) at two different concentrations. The results revealed significant differences among the genotypes. Water extracts from Moringa flowers, Moringa leaves, and prickly pear significantly promoted root growth in all genotypes. Additionally, beetroot extract, a combination of Moringa flower with seed extracts, and prickly pear extract showed notable improvements in vegetative growth traits. Regarding biomass-related traits (DM%, MM%, and OC%), Moringa seed extract, in Haimi, the combination of Moringa seed and flower extracts in Dhamari, and beetroot extract in Zaaitri yielded the most favorable results. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing seedling production practices and underscore the potential for developing affordable, plant-based biostimulants in agricultural applications.
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