Germination and growth of Datura innoxia Mill. - III. Physiological influence of pre-sowing seed treatment with vitamins on growth, development alkaloid production
2006
Rajagopal, R. (Aligarh Muslim Univ. (India). Dept. of Botany) | Mohammad, F. (Aligarh Muslim Univ. (India). Dept. of Botany) | Afaq, S.H. (Aligarh Muslim Univ. (India). Dept. of Ilmul Advia) | Afridi, R.M. (Aligarh Muslim Univ. (India). Dept. of Ilmul Advia)
Datura innoxia Mill. is an important medicinal plant, being a source of scopolamine an alkaloid of high medicinal value, but has not received the attention of researchers it deserves. In a simple randomized pot culture experiment, the residual effect of pre-sowing seed treatment with vitamins B1, B6, B-complex and C (considered as regulators for growth and development of plants by many workers), each at 500 ppm, on the physiomorphological characteristics of Datura innoxia Mill. was studied under natural conditions at three growth stages. Vitamin treatments, in general, significantly enhanced total leaf area and dry weight per plant. In addition, average fresh weight and dry weight of whole plants were found to be increased by the treatments. Growth components, viz. absolute growth rate (AGR), leaf area duration (LAD) and biomass duration (BMD), leaf nutrient content and nitrate reductase activity (NRA), studied at 60, 120 and 180 days after sowing (DAS), were enhanced by the treatments. A decrease in leaf NPK content with advancement in growth was also observed. Leaf NRA and total leaf alkaloid yield were maximum at flowering stage (120 DAS), Vitamin B6 followed by B-complex proved best in improving the physiomorphology of the treated plants in terms of overall performance, including growth, total leaf alkaloid yield and fruit number per plant.
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