The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra)

Okan Erken; Murat Yıldırım; Umut Mucan

doi:10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781

EN TR

The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra)

Abstract

This study was conducted under field conditions in Canakkale Province, Türkiye, during the 2021–2022 growing seasons and investigated the effects of different irrigation levels on the yield, quality, and biochemical properties of red cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra). Four irrigation regimes were applied: 100% (I1.0: full irrigation), 70% (I0.7: mild stress), 30% (I0.3: severe stress), and 0% (I0.0: rainfed only). Morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of plants to water stress were examined, with particular emphasis on the accumulation of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic compounds to evaluate adaptive capacity and nutritional quality. The data showed that yield decreased significantly as water deficit increased. The highest yields were obtained under full irrigation, with 1514.2 g plant⁻¹ in 2021 and 1252.6 g plant⁻¹ in 2022, demonstrating the positive effect of adequate water supply on productivity. The lowest yields were recorded under non-irrigated (rainfed) conditions. In contrast to yield trends, water restriction increased the accumulation of bioactive compounds. As irrigation decreased, flavonoid, phenolic, and anthocyanin contents as well as antioxidant activity (measured by DPPH and CUPRAC assays) increased significantly. The highest anthocyanin content (1.31 mg g⁻¹) and antioxidant activity were found under severe stress in the second experimental year. These findings indicate that water stress negatively affects yield but strongly stimulates secondary metabolite synthesis, thereby enhancing the nutritional and functional quality of the crop. Therefore, controlled or moderate water stress can be strategically used as a sustainable agricultural practice to improve the biochemical quality of red cabbage, particularly in water-limited farming systems. The results highlight the importance of effective irrigation management and adaptive strategies to sustain crop yield and quality under future climate change scenarios.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Research Project

Project Number

FBA-2021-3687

Thanks

This work supported supported by the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Research Project (Project FBA-2021-3687), Turkey

Farklı Su Seviyelerinin Kırmızı Lahananın (Brassica oleracea f. rubra) Verim, Kalite ve Biyokimyasal Özellikleri Üzerine Etkisi

Abstract

Bu çalışma, 2021–2022 yetiştirme sezonlarında Türkiye’nin Çanakkale ilinde tarla koşullarında yürütülmüş olup, kırmızı lahananın (Brassica oleracea f. rubra) verim, kalite ve biyokimyasal özellikleri üzerine farklı sulama düzeylerinin etkilerini araştırmıştır. Dört farklı sulama rejimi uygulanmıştır: %100 (I1.0: tam sulama), %70 (I0.7: hafif stres), %30 (I0.3: şiddetli stres) ve %0 (I0.0: yalnızca yağışa dayalı sulama). Bitkilerin su stresine karşı morfolojik, fizyolojik ve biyokimyasal tepkileri incelenmiş; özellikle flavonoid, antosiyanin ve fenolik bileşik birikimi gibi biyokimyasal özellikler üzerinde durularak adaptasyon kapasiteleri ve besin kaliteleri değerlendirilmiştir. Veriler, su açığı arttıkça verimin önemli ölçüde azaldığını göstermiştir. Tam sulama uygulamasında 2021 yılında 1514,2 g bitki⁻¹ ve 2022 yılında 1252,6 g bitki⁻¹ ile en yüksek verim elde edilmiştir; bu da yeterli su temininin verimlilik üzerindeki olumlu etkisini ortaya koymuştur. En düşük verim ise sulama yapılmayan (yağışa bağlı) koşullarda kaydedilmiştir. Ancak, verim değerlerinin aksine, su kısıtlaması biyoaktif bileşiklerin birikimini artırmıştır. Sulama azaldıkça flavonoid, fenolik, antosiyanin düzeyleri ve antioksidan aktivite (DPPH ve CUPRAC testleriyle ölçülen) anlamlı şekilde artmıştır. En yüksek antosiyanin içeriği (1,31 mg g⁻¹) ve antioksidan aktivite, şiddetli stres koşullarında belirlenmiştir. Bu bulgular, su stresinin verimi olumsuz etkilediğini, ancak ikincil metabolit sentezini güçlü bir şekilde uyararak ürünün besinsel ve fonksiyonel kalitesini artırdığını göstermektedir. Dolayısıyla, kontrollü veya orta düzeyde su stresi, özellikle suyun sınırlı olduğu tarımsal sistemlerde kırmızı lahananın biyokimyasal kalitesini artırmak amacıyla sürdürülebilir bir tarımsal uygulama olarak stratejik biçimde kullanılabilir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, gelecekteki iklim değişikliği senaryoları altında ürün verimi ve kalitesini sürdürebilmek için etkin sulama yönetimi ve adaptif stratejilerin önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri

Project Number

FBA-2021-3687

Thanks

Bu çalışma, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Araştırma Projesi (Proje FBA-2021-3687) tarafından desteklenmiştir.

References

Ahmadiani, N., Robbins, R.J., Collins, T.M., Giusti, M.M. 2014. Anthocyanins contents, profiles, and color characteristics of red cabbage extracts from different cultivars and maturity stages. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 62, 7524-7531. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf501991q
Ak, I., & Türker, G. (2018). Antioxidant activity of five seaweed extracts. New Knowledge Journal of Science, 7, 149–155.
Alper, M., & Özay, C. (2022). Antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of ethanol extracts of Momordica charantia and Datura stramonium. KSU Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi, 25(1), 1–9.
Anonymous, 2017. Gıda Tarım ve Hayvancılık Bakanlığı, Türkiye’de Sulanan Bitkilerin Bitki Su Tüketimleri,TAGEM AR-GE INNAVASYON, Ankara, 2017.
Apak, R., Güçlü, K., Ozyürek, M., & Karademir, S. E. (2004). Novel total antioxidant capacity index for dietary polyphenols and vitamins C and E using the CUPRAC method. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52, 7970–7981. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf048741x
Beacham, A.M., Hand, P., Pink, D.A., Monaghan, J.M., 2017. Analysis of Brassica oleracea early stage abiotic stress responses reveals tolerance in multiple crop types and for multiple sources of stress. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 97, 5271-5277. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.8411
Benvenuti, S., Pellati, F., Melegari, M. A., & Bertelli, D. (2004). Polyphenols, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, and radical scavenging activity of Rubus, Ribes, and Aronia. Journal of Food Science, 69, 164–169. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2004.tb13352.x
Brand-Williams, W., Cuvelier, M. E., & Berset, C. (1995). Use of a free radical method to evaluate antioxidant activity. LWT–Food Science and Technology, 28, 25–30.

Cheynier, V., Comte, G., Davies, K. M., Lattanzio, V., & Martens, S. (2013). Plant phenolics: Recent advances on their biosynthesis, genetics, and ecophysiology. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 72, 1–20.
Dewedar, O., Plauborg, F., El-Shafie, A., & Marwa, A. (2021). Response of potato biomass and tuber yield under future climate change scenarios in Egypt. Journal of Water and Land Development, 49, 139–150.
Djeridane, A., Yousfi, M., Nadjemi, B., Boutassouna, D., Stocker, P., & Vidal, N. (2006). Antioxidant activity of some Algerian medicinal plant extracts. Food Chemistry, 97, 654–660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.04.028
Ektiren, Y., & Değirmenci, H. (2018). Kısıntılı sulama uygulamalarının pamukta yaprak bitki besin elementlerine etkisi. KSU Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi, 21(5), 691–698. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksudobil.399149
Elavarasan, K., Soundara-Rajan, S., Manoharan, A., & Pushpalatha, P. B. (2015). Biochemical analysis and comparison of superior cabbage genotypes grown in plains and hills of Kerala, India. International Letters of Natural Sciences, 38, 1–5.
Fortier, E., Desjardins, Y., Tremblay, N., Belec, C., & Cote, M. (2010). Influence of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on broccoli polyphenolics concentrations. Acta Horticulturae, 856, 55–62.
Ghasemzadeh, A., Jaafar, H. Z., & Rahmat, A. (2010). Antioxidant activities, total phenolics and flavonoids content in two varieties of Malaysian young ginger. Molecules, 15(6), 4324–4333.
Giusti, M. M., & Wrolstad, R. E. (2001). Characterization and measurement of anthocyanins by UV–visible spectroscopy. In R. E. Wrolstad (Ed.), Current Protocols in Food Analytical Chemistry (pp. 0–13). John Wiley & Sons.
Haghighi, M., Saadat, S., & Abbey, L., 2020. Effect of exogenous amino acids application on growth and nutritional value of cabbage under drought stress. Scientia Horticulturae. 272, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.scienta.2020.109561
IPCC. (2014). Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Part A: Global and sectoral aspects. Cambridge University Press.
Kaur, M., Velmurugan, B., Rajamanickam, S., Agarwal, R., & Agarwal, C. (2009). Gallic acid exhibits anti-proliferative and anti-tumorigenic effects in prostate carcinoma. Pharmaceutical Research, 26(9), 2133–2140.
Kumar, M. (2016). Impact of climate change on crop yield and role of models for achieving food security. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 188, 465.
Leja, M., Kaminska, I., & Kołton, A. (2010). Phenolic compounds as the major antioxidants in red cabbage. Folia Horticulturae, 22, 19–24. https://doi.org/10.2478/fhort-2013-0146
Levit, J. 1980. 'Responses of Plants to Environmental Stresses: Water, Radiation, Salt, and Other Stresses'. Academic press, New York, 2: 365‐488.
Lipovac, A., Mandić, M. V., Vuković, A., Stričević, R., & Cosić, M. (2018). Assessment of AquaCrop model on potato water requirements in climate change conditions. In 10th Eastern European Young Water Professionals Conference, Zagreb, 70–77.
Masarirambi, M. T., Oseni, T. O., Shongwe, V. D., & Mhazo, N. (2011). Physiological disorders of Brassicas found in Swaziland: A review. African Journal of Plant Science, 5(1), 8–14.
MGM. (2021). İklim Değişikliği ve Tarım Değerlendirme Raporu. https://www.mgm.gov.tr/iklim/iklim-raporlari.aspx
MGM. (2022). İklim Değerlendirme Raporu. https://www.mgm.gov.tr/iklim/iklim-raporlari.aspx Nortje, P. F., Orcutt, D. M., & Nilsen, E. T. (1996). The physiology of plants under stress: Abiotic factors. Wiley.
Oh, M. M., Trick, H. N., & Rajashekar, C. B. (2009). Secondary metabolism and antioxidants in lettuce under stress. Journal of Plant Physiology, 166(2), 180–191.
Öztokat Kuzucu, C., Erken, O., & Uzunoğlu, Ö. (2016). Farklı sulama uygulamalarının karnabahar kalite ve verimine etkisi. Yalova Bahçe Kültürleri Araştırma Enstitüsü Dergisi, 45(Özel sayı), 1-6.
Sanchez, C. A., Roth, R. L., & Gardner, B. R. (1994). Irrigation and nitrogen management for sprinkler-irrigated cabbage on sand. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 119(3), 427–433.
Schulze, E. D. (1991). Water and nutrient interactions with plant water stress. In Academic Press (pp. 89–101). Shahidi, F., & Yeo, J. (2018). Bioactivities of phenolics in chronic disease suppression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(6), 1573.
Shinde, M.G., Pawar, D.D., Kale, K.D., & Dingre, S.K., 2020. Performance of cabbage at different irrigation levels under drip and microsprinkler irrigation systems. Irrigation and Drainage. Published online in Wiley Online Library. Cited 02 June 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ird.2557
Sinha, N. K., Hui, Y. H., Evranuz, E. O., Siddiq, M., & Ahmad, J. (2011). Handbook of Vegetables and Vegetable Processing (pp. 35–36). Wiley-Blackwell.
Şahin, U., Ekinci, M., Örs, S., Turan, M., Yıldız, S., & Yıldırım, E., 2018. Effects of individual and combined effects of salinity and drought on physiological, nutritional and biochemical properties of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). Scientia Horticulturae, 240, 196-204. 10.1016/j.scienta.2018.06.016
Tiwari, K. N., Singh, A., & Ma, P. K. (2003). Effect of drip irrigation on yield of cabbage under mulch and non-mulch conditions. Agricultural Water Management, 58, 19–28.
Türker, G., Kızılkaya, B., Çevik, N., & Gönüz, A. (2012). Free radical scavenging activity and phenolic content of wild fruits from Kazdağı. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 6, 4989–4994. https://doi.org/10.5897/ JMPR12.393
Veluri, R., Singh, R. P., Liu, Z., Thompson, J. A., Agarwal, R., & Agarwal, C. (2006). Gallic acid identification from grape seed extract. Carcinogenesis, 27(7), 1445–1453.
Wang, L., Liu, D., Ahmed, T., Chung, F. L., Conaway, C., & Chiao, J. W. (2004). Targeting cell cycle machinery by sulforaphane. International Journal of Oncology, 24, 187–192.
Wiczkowski, W., Szawara-Nowak, D., & Topolska, J., 2013. Red cabbage anthocyanins: Profile, isolation, identification, and antioxidant activity. Food Research International, 51, 303-309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2012.12.015
Wurr, D. C. E., Hambidge, A. J., Fellows, J. R., Lynn, J. R., & Pink, D. A. C. (2002). Influence of water stress on postharvest broccoli quality. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 25, 193–198.
Xu, C., & Leskovar, D. I. (2014). Growth, physiology and yield responses of cabbage to deficit irrigation. Horticultural Science (Prague), 41(3), 138–146.
Yan, M., 2015. Seed priming stimulate germination and early seedling growth of Chinese cabbage under drought stress. South African Journal of Botany, 99, 88-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.195
Yang, Y., Tilman, D., Jin, Z., Smith, P., Barrett, C. B., Zhu, Y. G., & Zhuang, M. (2024). Climate change exacerbates agricultural environmental impacts. Science, 385(6713), eadn3747.
Yıldırım, M., Erken, O., & Kızılkaya, B. (2019). Changes in bioactive compounds of red cabbage under water stress. Mediterranean Agricultural Sciences, 32, 401–407. https://doi.org/10.29136/mediterranean.592723
Yıldız, M., & Terzi, H. (2007). Bitkilerin yüksek sıcaklık stresine toleransı. Erciyes Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 23(1), 47–60.
Youssef, E. A., Abdelbaset, M. M., Dewedar, O. M., Molina-Martínez, J. M., & El-Shafie, A. F. (2023). Crop coefficient estimation and ABA effects on red cabbage under water stress. Agriculture, 13, 610. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030610

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Biosystem

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Okan Erken ^*
0000-0001-5177-7432
Türkiye

Murat Yıldırım
0000-0002-9757-6895
Türkiye

Umut Mucan
0000-0002-7126-9774
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

September 20, 2026

Publication Date

-

Submission Date

December 1, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 29, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA25JU47YR

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Erken, O., Yıldırım, M., & Mucan, U. (2026). The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra). Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım Ve Doğa Dergisi, Advanced Online Publication, 105-114. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781

AMA

1.Erken O, Yıldırım M, Mucan U. The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra). KSU J. Agric Nat. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication):105-114. doi:10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781

Chicago

Erken, Okan, Murat Yıldırım, and Umut Mucan. 2026. “The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica Oleracea F. Rubra)”. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım Ve Doğa Dergisi, no. Advanced Online Publication: 105-14. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781.

EndNote

Erken O, Yıldırım M, Mucan U (September 1, 2026) The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra). Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi Advanced Online Publication 105–114.

IEEE

[1]O. Erken, M. Yıldırım, and U. Mucan, “The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra)”, KSU J. Agric Nat., no. Advanced Online Publication, pp. 105–114, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781.

ISNAD

Erken, Okan - Yıldırım, Murat - Mucan, Umut. “The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica Oleracea F. Rubra)”. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi. Advanced Online Publication (September 1, 2026): 105-114. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781.

JAMA

1.Erken O, Yıldırım M, Mucan U. The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra). KSU J. Agric Nat. 2026;:105–114.

MLA

Erken, Okan, et al. “The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica Oleracea F. Rubra)”. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım Ve Doğa Dergisi, no. Advanced Online Publication, Sept. 2026, pp. 105-14, doi:10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781.

Vancouver

1.Okan Erken, Murat Yıldırım, Umut Mucan. The Effect of Different Water Levels on Yield, Quality, and Biochemical Properties of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea f. rubra). KSU J. Agric Nat. 2026 Sep. 1;(Advanced Online Publication):105-14. doi:10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1833781