Open Access

ARTICLE

Effects of Colored Plastic Mulches on Bioactive Compounds and Mineral Nutrition of Broccoli under Open-Field Conditions

Aygül Dayan^*

Department of Plant and Animal Production, Pozantı Vocational School, Çukurova University, Adana, Türkiye

* Corresponding Author: Aygül Dayan. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Plant Nutrition-Mechanisms, Regulation, and Sustainable Applications)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2026, 95(7), 13 https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.083460

Received 04 April 2026; Accepted 03 June 2026; Issue published 30 July 2026

Abstract

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is valued for its nutritional quality, and production practices increasingly focus on improving quality as well as yield. This study evaluated the effects of colored plastic mulches (red, black, grey, and brown) on yield, antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), and mineral composition under open-field conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four mulch treatments and three replications under open-field conditions. Mulch color did not significantly affect total yield, indicating stable biomass production across treatments. In contrast, antioxidant activity and Vitamin C content were significantly influenced, with the highest values obtained under grey mulch. Along with increased nutrient uptake, mineral composition significantly varied across treatments; nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) were higher under black mulch, while iron (Fe) concentration was highest under brown mulch. Overall, the results indicate that appropriate mulch color selection can enhance the nutritional quality of broccoli while enabling successful cultivation under cool spring conditions without yield loss.

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