Effect of Planting Date, Melatonin, and Ascorbic Acid on Growth, Yield, and Antioxidant Activity of Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.)

Abstract

The research was done in the winter period 2022-2023 on a private farm to study the effect of planting dates on 15^th November, 1^st December, and 15^th December, and exogenous application of melatonin at (25 mg.L^-1), ascorbic acid (200 gm.L^-1), and their mixture on cumin plant. The experimental measures consisted of some indicators of the growth, yield, and antioxidant potential of cumin seeds, and used a factorial experiment was set up in a completely randomized blocks design with three replicates for the dissemination of experimental units, and the treatment means were separated depending on least significant difference test at probability level 0.05.

The results showed significant superiority of planting on 1^st December of cumin in all indicators of the study also foliar spraying of melatonin×ascorbic acid, but the treatment 1^st December×melatonin×ascorbic acid was provided the best averages in growth and yield indicators, while, treating 15^thDecember×melatonin×ascorbic acid proposed significant superiority in leaf and seed content of total flavonoids, total phenols, free radical scavenging activity, and antioxidant activity reached 18.3, 31.2 mg.QE/g^-1, 221.3, 58.6 mg.GAE/g^-1, 77.6, 44.4 mM.Trolox/kg^-1 DW and 94.2, 46.1 % leaves and seeds respectively.