Plant Gene and Trait 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 173-181 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 175 3 Trait Performance in Cabbage under Different Fertilization Regimes 3.1 Vegetative growth traits: plant height, leaf area, root development Applying organic fertilizer can make cabbages grow better. For instance, the plant height, leaf length, leaf number and transverse diameter of cabbage treated with organic fertilizer increased by 8.54%, 8.42%, 6.6% and 9.91% respectively (Zhang et al., 2024). Fertilizers like compost and vermicompost can help root systems and above-ground parts grow faster. Among them, the effect of vermicompost is particularly obvious (Adhikari et al., 2023; Singh et al., 2023). 3.2 Yield traits: head size, marketable weight, total biomass The use of organic fertilizers or a combination of organic and chemical fertilizers can increase the weight of cabbage heads, the yield that can be sold and the total output. Compared with chemical fertilizers alone, organic fertilizers can increase the fresh weight of cabbage by 10.08% and the commercial yield by 35.56% (Zhang et al., 2024). Some studies have found that after being treated with vermicompost, the heaviest balls formed can reach 1026 grams. When organic and chemical fertilizers are used together (like the IPNS model), the maximum yield can reach 65.0 tons per hectare (Coulibaly et al., 2021; Cui et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2023). In addition, the use of bio-organic fertilizer combined with a reduction in nitrogen fertilizer can also increase yield and root activity (Figure 2) (Qi et al., 2021; Jin et al., 2022; Qi et al., 2022). Figure 2 A model of soil physical and chemical properties, microbial community, and yield changes after adding bio-organic fertilizer (Adopted from Jin et al., 2022) 3.3 Quality traits: vitamin C, dry matter, flavor, nitrate content Organic fertilizer can also make cabbage more nutritious. For instance, it can increase the contents of vitamin C, soluble sugar and soluble protein by 11.06%, 19.16% and 8.83% respectively (Singh et al., 2023). Meanwhile, organic fertilizer can also reduce the accumulation of nitrate and nitrite, with the reduction rates reaching 19.02% and 20.9% respectively (Qi et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2024). Under organic management, cabbage has higher levels of phenols, glucosides and carotenoids, lower levels of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni), and better taste and safety (Rempelos et al., 2023). 3.4 Differences in maturation timing and harvest window There is not much comparative data on when cabbage ripens and is harvested, but organic fertilizer generally can make the plants grow more evenly. Some studies have also found that the combined use of organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer can make cabbage mature faster and have a longer harvest period, which is beneficial to field management (Cui et al., 2022). In addition, organic fertilizer can also improve soil structure and microbial environment, which is conducive to the uniform ripening of cabbage (Qi et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2023).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==