This study was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar application of iron, potassium, calcium and manganese nano-chelates on morphological, physiological and biochemical traits of Mentha piperita (Peppermint) in a completely randomized design with two experiments. In the first experiment, foliar application of plants was performed with three levels of iron, potassium, calcium and manganese nano-chelates (2, 4 and 6 mg L-1). In the second experiment, foliar application of plants was performed with the best level of each treatment of the first experiment (6 mg L-1 in most traits for the applied elements). The second experiment also consisted of 12 treatments, with 3 replicates. Foliar application was performed three times during a week and after two weeks of sampling, and the traits, including fresh and dry weight of the aerial parts, total leaf chlorophyll content, protein content, peroxidase activity, total phenol content, iron, potassium, calcium and manganese content values and essential oil percentage, were evaluated. The results showed that in the first experiment, the effect of treatment on leaf protein, phenol and iron content was significant at 5% and on other traits at 1%. In the second experiment, the effect of treatment on leaf protein, iron and calcium content was significant at 5% and on the other traits was significant at 1%. According to the results of both experiments, the effect of treatments on leaf protein and iron content values at different treatment concentrations was significant at 5% level. Among all applied concentrations Nano Ch Fe-6 showed the highest content in leaf fresh/dry weight, chlorophyll, peroxidase activity in the first experiment. Leaf fresh/dry weight, total leaf chlorophyll, leaf protein, peroxidase activity, phenol content, leaf iron, potassium, calcium, manganese content and essential oil percentage Nano Ch (Fe-6+ K-6+ Ca-6+ Mn-6) had the highest amount in the second experiment.
展开▼
