Effect of Different Nitrogen Nutrition on Growth, Yield and Quality of Senna tora in Northern Vietnam

Thu Phan, Nui Dao, Hung Nguyen, Thu Le, Hai Tran, Huyen Nguyen, Khanh Nguyen, Paul Milham and Hien Phan

Background and Objective: Senna tora is a valuable medicinal plant and an important natural source of aurantioobtusin, a compound with strong anti-inflammatory activity. However, knowledge of how nitrogen (N) nutrition influences its growth, seed yield and pharmaceutical quality is limited. This study aimed to determine the optimal N application rate for maximizing both seed yield and aurantioobtusin content in S. tora. Materials and Methods: A field experiment was conducted in Thanh Tri (Hanoi, Vietnam) using six N application rates: N0 (0 kg/ha), N1 (35 kg/ha), N2 (70 kg/ha), N3 (105 kg/ha), N4 (140 kg/ha) and N5 (175 kg/ha). Plant growth, seed yield and aurantioobtusin content were measured at harvest. Statistical analysis was performed using CropStat 7.2, Microsoft Excel 2016 and RStudio, with treatment effects tested at p<0.05 and regression used to evaluate relationships between N rates and measured parameter. Results: Plants receiving N3 (105 kg/ha) exhibited the highest growth performance, with a seed yield of 2.02 t/ha and aurantioobtusin content of 0.24%. While higher N rates increased foliage biomass, they significantly reduced seed yield (p<0.05). The N3 treatment effectively balanced both seed productivity and medicinal quality. Conclusion: Application of 105 kg/ha N optimizes seed yield and aurantioobtusin content in S. tora, providing practical guidance for sustainable cultivation and medicinal compound production. Excessive N application increases vegetative growth but compromises seed yield, highlighting the need for balanced nutrient management. Future studies could explore long-term environmental impacts and interactions with other nutrients.

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