Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXVIII, Issue 2
Written by Vera PETROVA, Tsvetelina NIKOLOVA, Milena YORDANOVA
In period during 2022 and 2023 years a pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using alluvial-meadow soil. Two seeding dates were tested. Five variants with different doses of biochar and humate fertilizer (Bioforce) was developed. The test crop was leafy vegetable - Bok Choy (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis L.). Results indicate that increased moisture and temperature in the vegetative house caused premature budding and flowering of the plants. In the variant with Soil + Bioforce (humic fertilizer) showed high photosynthetic activity, while variant Biochar 112.5 g per pot + Bioforce (20%) exhibited the best biometric indicators. Plants grown in March-April were taller but had less mass compared to those from December. The mass flowering makes the method suitable for seed production but not for consumption. Sugar levels followed a similar trend in both assessments. The least amount of accumulated sugars was in variant 3 with 50% Biochar. Variant 4 consistently had the highest sugar content, ranging from 7.6 to 7.7% Brix. The low nitrate content in leaf tissue was evidenced. The nectar's sugar content and pollen quantity were assessed to determine the honeybee potential of Bok Choy by the tested variants.
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