Authors: Reeta Kumari Inderdeep Kaur A K Bhatnagar
Publish Date: 2011/01/19
Volume: 23, Issue: 3, Pages: 623-633
Abstract
Experiments were conducted on tomato to study the potential of brown alga Sargassum johnstonii as a biofertilizer Seaweed extract was applied as a foliar spray soil drench and soil drench + foliar spray to assess its effect on plant growth yield and concentration of lycopene and vitamin C The main objective of the study was to enhance the biochemical constituents with neutraceutical and antioxidant values in tomato fruit Different concentrations 01 04 08 2 6 8 and 10 v/v of seaweed extract were used and growth was observed over a period of 7 months A total of 14 sprays/drenches were applied at 15day intervals during the entire vegetative and reproductive phase A statistically significant increase in vegetative growth plant height shoot length root length and number of branches reproductive parameters flower number fruit number and fresh weight and biochemical constituents photosynthetic pigments proteins total soluble sugars reducing sugars starch phenols lycopene and vitamin C was recorded following all three methods of treatment at higher concentrations of seaweed extract The study also reports auxin and cytokininlike activity and the presence of macro Ca Mg Na and K and micronutrients Fe Cu Zn and Mn in seaweed extract of S johnstonii which makes it a potential biofertilizerReeta Kumari is thankful to the University Grants Commission New Delhi India for the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship award for 2008–2009 Inderdeep Kaur gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the Department of Science and Technology under their Women Scientist Scheme WOSA We also thank Dr PV Subha Rao Scientist Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute Bhavnagar Gujarat India for his help in collection of seaweed material from the Port Okha Gujarat We thank Dr Rupam Kapoor Associate Professor Department of Botany University of Delhi for her comments on the manuscript
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