Chitin nanofiber for growth, yield and postharvest quality of coriander plant

Coriander is an annual herb popular for its fresh leaves though highly perishable and it requires nitrogen for growth and yield. A field experiment and a lab experiment evaluated the effect of foliar application of chitin nanofiber (CNF) on the growth, yield (field experiment) and postharvest quality (lab experiment) of coriander cv. BARI dhania 2 from February to April, 2024. The field experiment consisted of five treatments:  control, urea (recommended dose), and three concentrations of CNF (13 ml, 26 ml, and 39 ml). Top dressing of urea and foliar spraying of CNFs were done at 15^th and 30^th days after emergence. The harvested coriander plants were also evaluated in the lab for postharvest quality attributes including shelf life. Foliar application of CNF 3 resulted in either similar or higher plant height, leaf number, leaflet number, node number, and individual plant fresh weight of coriander to urea. CNF 2 and urea yielded in similar yield per plot. CNF 3 treated leaves also maintained higher freshness and tenderness of coriander leaf along with low shrinkage compared to the control. CNF 2/CNF 3 retained TSS, and vitamin C content comparable to urea and control. CNF 3 also increased shelf life of coriander by 1.5 days compared to the control. Overall, CNF 3/CNF 2 promoted growth and yield attributes of coriander and maintained postharvest quality along with extended shelf life. Therefore, CNF 3/CNF 2 can be employed to grow coriander and to maintain postharvest quality including shelf life. 

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