Improving the Productivity of Nigella sativa Plants Via Chitosan and Some Amino Acids

Seeds of Nigella sativa, considered as one of the vital forms of available healing treatment. A field experiment was carried to investigate the effect of chitosan (0, 1, 2 and 3 g/l) and two individual amino acids; glycine and tryptophan (0, 1, 2 and 3g/l) application on the plant growth and productivity. Results showed a significant effect of both investigated factors in herb day weight, seed yield and proximate analysis. The highest seed yield 44.1 and 42.7g/plant with no significant difference between them were for plants treated with 1g/l of chitosan + (1g/l tryptophan) or (3g/l glycine) respectively. Whereas, the minimum seed yield about (21.2 - 21.7 g/plant) was estimated for non-amino acid treated plants + 2 or 3g/l of chitosan. The higher seed moisture content (5.37%) was for plants treated with 2 g/l of tryptophan in addition to 1g/l of chitosan. Generally, increasing chitosan over than 2 g/l caused a reduction on seed moisture content. Non amino acid-treated plants which treated 3 g/l of chitosan had the lowest ash (3.18%) but the highest value (4.63%) being for plants treated with 1g/l chitosan + 1g/l tryptophan. The lowest and highest lipids (28.11 and 30.75) being for untreated plants, and these treated with (2 g/l chitosan + 2 g/l tryptophan), respectively. Therfore, the study suggested that N. sativa plants could treat with 1 g/l chitosan in addition to 1g/l tryptophan to achieve the highest seed yield. However, for higher lipids content plants should treated with 2g/l of chitosan and 2g/l tryptophan.