Paper · 2025 · Cogent Food & Agriculture

Nano-propolis and potassium silicate for enhancing vegetative growth, bulb yield and resistance to downy mildew, in onion ( Allium cepa L.)

Alya Aljuaid; Makhdora Almuziny; Asmaa A. Alharbi; et al.

8
claims
16
verbatim quotes
0
citations
3
research areas
✓
Open access · cc-by

Abstract

Downy mildew on onion (Allium cepa L.) is of great economic importance because of its impact on yield and quality. Natural biostimulants such as propolis play a vital role in enhancing growth and productivity by activating physiological and biochemical processes in plants, increasing water and nutrient uptake, and enhancing productivity. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of foliar spray treatments with nano-propolis and potassium silicate on onion growth, dry bulb yield, its components, and quality. Nano-propolis was applied at concentrations of 1 and 2 ml/L, potassium silicate 2 and 4 ml/L, both individually and in combination, and distilled water as a control treatment. The results showed that plants sprayed with different concentrations of nano-propolis or potassium silicate showed high resistance to downy mildew; increased vegetative growth, yield and bulb quality; and higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and protein. The combined foliar application of 2 ml/L of nano-propolis + 4 ml/L of potassium silicate enhanced resistance to downy mildew and all measured parameters, including bulb weight, diameter and yield, compared to other treatments. In conclusion, foliar spraying of nano-propolis and potassium silicate is an eco-friendly and beneficial approach for sustainable crop production.

Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗

The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.

Claims 8

Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Foliar nano-propolis increased onion resistance to downy mildew.

Taxon
onionAllium cepat0
Treatment
nano-propolise0
Outcome
resistance to downy mildewe0
Direction
highe0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Allium cepa
Allium cepa · TaxonMehdi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“plants sprayed with different concentrations of nano-propolis or potassium silicate showed high resistance to downy mildew”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 711–833 · show in text ↑
t0

“onion ( Allium cepa L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 116–139 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Foliar potassium silicate increased onion resistance to downy mildew.

Taxon
onionAllium cepat0
Treatment
potassium silicatee0
Outcome
resistance to downy mildewe0
Direction
highe0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Allium cepa
Allium cepa · TaxonMehdi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“plants sprayed with different concentrations of nano-propolis or potassium silicate showed high resistance to downy mildew”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 711–833 · show in text ↑
t0

“onion ( Allium cepa L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 116–139 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Foliar nano-propolis increased vegetative growth, yield and bulb quality.

Taxon
onionAllium cepat0
Treatment
nano-propolise0
Outcome
vegetative growth, yield and bulb qualitye0
Direction
increasede0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Allium cepa
Allium cepa · TaxonMehdi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“nano-propolis or potassium silicate showed high resistance to downy mildew; increased vegetative growth, yield and bulb quality”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 759–886 · show in text ↑
t0

“onion ( Allium cepa L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 116–139 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Foliar potassium silicate increased vegetative growth, yield and bulb quality.

Taxon
onionAllium cepat0
Treatment
potassium silicatee0
Outcome
vegetative growth, yield and bulb qualitye0
Direction
increasede0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Allium cepa
Allium cepa · TaxonMehdi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“potassium silicate showed high resistance to downy mildew; increased vegetative growth, yield and bulb quality”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 776–886 · show in text ↑
t0

“onion ( Allium cepa L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 116–139 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Foliar nano-propolis raised nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and protein levels.

Taxon
onionAllium cepat0
Treatment
nano-propolise0
Outcome
levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and proteine0
Direction
highere0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Allium cepa
Allium cepa · TaxonMehdi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“nano-propolis or potassium silicate showed high resistance to downy mildew; increased vegetative growth, yield and bulb quality; and higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and protein”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 759–952 · show in text ↑
t0

“onion ( Allium cepa L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 116–139 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Foliar potassium silicate raised nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and protein levels.

Taxon
onionAllium cepat0
Treatment
potassium silicatee0
Outcome
levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and proteine0
Direction
highere0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Allium cepa
Allium cepa · TaxonMehdi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“potassium silicate showed high resistance to downy mildew; increased vegetative growth, yield and bulb quality; and higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and protein”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 776–952 · show in text ↑
t0

“onion ( Allium cepa L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 116–139 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The combined 2 ml/L nano-propolis and 4 ml/L potassium silicate application enhanced downy mildew resistance versus other treatments.

Taxon
onionAllium cepat0
Treatment
2 ml/L of nano-propolis + 4 ml/L of potassium silicatee0
Outcome
resistance to downy mildewe0
Direction
enhancede0
Comparator
other treatmentse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Allium cepa
Allium cepa · TaxonMehdi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“The combined foliar application of 2 ml/L of nano-propolis + 4 ml/L of potassium silicate enhanced resistance to downy mildew and all measured parameters, including bulb weight, diameter and yield, compared to other treatments.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 954–1181 · show in text ↑
t0

“onion ( Allium cepa L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 116–139 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The combined application enhanced bulb weight, diameter and yield versus other treatments.

Taxon
onionAllium cepat0
Treatment
2 ml/L of nano-propolis + 4 ml/L of potassium silicatee0
Outcome
bulb weight, diameter and yielde0
Direction
enhancede0
Comparator
other treatmentse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Allium cepa
Allium cepa · TaxonMehdi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“The combined foliar application of 2 ml/L of nano-propolis + 4 ml/L of potassium silicate enhanced resistance to downy mildew and all measured parameters, including bulb weight, diameter and yield, compared to other treatments.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 954–1181 · show in text ↑
t0

“onion ( Allium cepa L.)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 116–139 · show in text ↑

silicate(4-) · quality: general · Allium cepa (onion)Results agree

2 papers: 2 positive, 0 negative or no effect

1 paper in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
See all 2 papers →

potassium · quality: general · Allium cepa (onion)Positive and negative results

9 papers: 8 positive, 1 negative or no effect

7 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction

  1. no effect
  2. positive
  3. positive

5 papers more in this group

See all 9 papers →

potassium · yield · Allium cepa (onion)Positive and negative results

59 papers: 54 positive, 5 negative or no effect

53 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction

  1. negative
  2. no effect
  3. no effect

55 papers more in this group

See all 59 papers →

potassium · quality: protein · Allium cepa (onion)Results agree

2 papers: 2 positive, 0 negative or no effect

1 paper in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
See all 2 papers →

nanoparticle · disease · Allium cepa (onion)Results agree

3 papers: 3 positive, 0 negative or no effect

2 papers in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
  2. positive
See all 3 papers →

nanoparticle · quality: protein · Allium cepa (onion)Results agree

3 papers: 3 positive, 0 negative or no effect

2 papers in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
  2. positive
See all 3 papers →

nanoparticle · quality: general · Allium cepa (onion)Results agree

4 papers: 4 positive, 0 negative or no effect

3 papers in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive
See all 4 papers →

potassium · disease · Allium cepa (onion)Results agree

5 papers: 5 positive, 0 negative or no effect

4 papers in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive

1 paper more in this group

See all 5 papers →

8 of 9 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.

Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.