The burgeoning world population is exerting immense pressure on the agricultural sector to increase yield production, which has resulted in the widespread use of chemical products by farmers. However, these chemicals can have detrimental effects on both human health and the environment. To mitigate these risks, it is crucial to identify natural solutions that are less harmful to both humans and the environment. This study explores the impact of Atriplex halimus extract on the growth of Vicia faba L. broad vetch plants by testing three different concentrations (0.1%, 0.25%, and 0.5%) of the extract. The findings reveal that Atriplex halimus extract has a positive effect on various physiological and biochemical parameters of the plants, which ultimately leads to improved growth. Specifically, the treated plants displayed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the content of plant metabolites and photosynthetic pigments. Furthermore, the extract enhanced the activity of enzymes that are involved in carbon-nitrogen assimilation, such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31), isocitrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.42), glutamine synthase (EC 6.3.1.2), glutathione-s-transferase (EC 2.5.1.18), and glutathione reductase (EC 1.8.1.7). The most significant improvement was observed in plants treated with 0.25% of Atriplex halimus extract. Therefore, it can be inferred that the application of Atriplex halimus extract has the potential to be an effective biostimulant for improving the growth and yield of faba bean plants.
Keywords: Atriplex halimus extracts; Biostimulant; Carbon nitrogen enzymes; Chlorophyll; Osmolytes; Vicia faba.
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