Yield and Mineral Content of Stinging Nettle as Aff ected by Nitrogen Fertilization

Abstract

Stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica L.) is a valuable multifunctional plant species, m ainly collected from natural habitats, but, quality of su ch plant material is rather variable. Cultivation of the plant allows for controlling som e environmental factors and enhances the quality of the product. The goal of this resear ch was to determine the influence of different doses of nitrogen fertilization (0, 100, and 200 kg N ha -1 ) on yield, dry matter content, crude proteins and mineral content in stin ging nettle herbage collected at flowering time. Results of the study showed that ni trogen fertilization had a negative effect on the amount of dry matter, content of phos phorus, potassium, and trace elements. Crude proteins significantly increased with use of larger amounts of nitrogen fertilizer and the highest value was recorded in the last harv est at 200 kg N ha -1 (180.0 g kg -1 ). The amount of iron measured in this research was very v ariable (0.62-2.96 g kg -1 ) and much higher compared to the other studies on stinging ne ttle and similar leafy vegetables rich in iron. The highest total yield of fresh stinging net tle herbage was achieved at 200 kg N ha -1 (15.18 t ha -1 ), however, in the absence of nitrogen fertilizatio n, the highest values of mineral composition and dry matter content were rec orded. Keywords: Crude proteins, Dry matter, Multiple harvests, Urtica dioica .