Potential of Potassium Humate, Garlic and Lemongrass Extracts for Improving Growth and Productivity of Faba Bean

Improving agricultural practices is a very important matter and remains a focal point for individuals engaged in the realm of plant nutrition. So, a field trial during two consecutive seasons of 2021/22 and 2022/23 was carried out under a randomized completed block design to assess the impact of potassium humate (KH) as soil addition as well as garlic extract (GE) and lemongrass extract (LE) as foliar application on the growth performance and productivity of faba bean plants either as individual or combined applications (KH+GE and KH+LE). Plant height (cm), No. of branches plant-1, fresh and dry weights (g plant-1), chlorophyll a and b as well as carotenoids (mg g-1FW), green pod yield of faba bean (ton fed-1), No. of pods plant-1, 100 seed weight (g), seed and straw yield (ton fed-1), seed chemical composition (N,P,K%), seed nutrient uptake (N,P,K, kg fed-1), and seed quality (protein and carbohydrate, %) were measured and determined. The results show that the most effective treatment in achieving the highest values was the combined application of potassium humate and garlic extract followed by the combined treatment of potassium humate and lemongrass extract. The treatment involving only potassium humate addition ranked third, followed by garlic extract treatment alone, lemongrass extract treatment alone, and finally, the control treatment (without any additions). The observed synergistic effects suggest the potential for these treatments to be a valuable strategy in faba bean cultivation. Generally, these results provide valuable insights for improving agricultural practices.