A Master’s Thesis at the College of Agriculture.

The College of Agriculture at the University of Diyala has examined a Master’s thesis entitled
“Mitigating the Adverse Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide through Foliar Application of Zinc and the Amino Acid Selenocysteine on Okra Plants.”

The study, presented by the student Diana Talib Shumkhi Abd, aimed to investigate the potential of zinc application in alleviating the harmful effects of root-applied hydrogen peroxide on okra plants. Additionally, it examined the effectiveness of the amino acid selenocysteine in mitigating the same oxidative stress.

The study led to several key conclusions, including the following:

• Foliar application of hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 6 mg·L⁻¹ resulted in a reduction across all the evaluated traits.

• Spraying zinc at a concentration of 100 mg·L⁻¹ significantly improved vegetative growth characteristics and yield.

• Application of selenocysteine at a concentration of 50 mg·L⁻¹ led to statistically significant increases in both vegetative growth traits and yield.

• The interaction between hydrogen peroxide at concentration H₀ and zinc at Zn100 demonstrated a significant synergistic effect on enhancing vegetative growth and yield parameters.

The study recommends the following:

• Application of zinc at 100 mg·L⁻¹ to reduce the detrimental effects of hydrogen peroxide on okra plants and to enhance vegetative growth and yield characteristics;

• Application of selenocysteine at 50 mg·L⁻¹ for its effectiveness in counteracting hydrogen peroxide-induced stress and improving plant growth and productivity;

• Conducting further research to explore the response of other plant species to foliar applications of zinc and selenocysteine at the tested concentrations, and to investigate the effects of higher concentrations in order to determine the upper threshold of their efficacy and to establish the optimal dosage that maximizes vegetative and yield traits without inducing growth inhibition.