Enhancing Hydroponic Strawberry Cultivation Through the Use of Alhagi maurorum Extracts as Sustainable Eco-Friendly Additives
摘要
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Alhagi maurorum root extracts on the growth and yield of hydroponically grown strawberries Fragaria X ananassa (Rubygem). The experiment was conducted at the Technical Agricultural College-Mosul, Northern Technical University, Nineveh, Iraq, during the fall season of 2024–2025 using a closed Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic system. The extraction process was performed from the roots of A. maurorum plant using Soxhlet and the active compounds were identified using GC-Mass. The effect of hexane and ethanolic extract at a concentration of 0.5 and 1 ml/L by foliar spraying and adding to the nutrient solution was studied. The experiment followed a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates per treatment. Data were analyzed using Duncan’s multiple range test at a 5% significance level. The results demonstrated that spraying plants with a 1% hexane extract significantly enhanced several growth and yield parameters, including the number of leaves 8.4, plant length 13.7 cm, fruit diameter 2.56 cm, fruit weight 13.30 g, number of fruits 11.80, and total fruit weight 156.46 g. In contrast, the 1% ethanolic extract had the greatest impact on leaf area 52.92 cm2 and fruit length 4.18 cm. Additionally, when extracts were added to the nutrient solution, the hexane extract at 1% concentration resulted in a total fruit weight of 147.46 g/plant, while the ethanolic extract at 1% significantly influenced the number of leaves 7.80, plant length 12.54 cm, and fruit count 11.20. These findings suggest that A. maurorum root extracts, particularly the hexane extract at 1% concentration, can significantly improve strawberry plant growth and fruit production under hydroponic conditions.