(Coriandrum salivum L.) GAa hastened flowering. improved the flower yield and strengthened

INTmtACTION OF GIBBERELLIC ACID (GAa) AND BENZYLADBNINE (itA)

ON FLOWWNO AND SEX EXPRESSION IN BULGARIAN CORIANDER

(CORIANDRUM SATWUM L.)

S.A. AMtmTAVALLI

Ileptmelll ol.8t)t/;VIy. BangaltJre Vniyersily. Bangalore.

Received on May 29, 1978

r,SJl

[¥ it

The interaction of gibberellic acid (GAa) and benzyladenine (BA) on flowering and sex expression was tested on andromonoeclous Bulgarian coriander (Coriandrum salivum L.) GAa hastened flowering. improved the flower yield and strengthened the male tendency. BA produced diametrically opposite effects. BA in combination with GAJ did not alter the latter's influence on the onset of flowering; but it &trongly

reduced the effects caused by gibberellic acid with respect to flower yield and sex ratio. Two applications of the growth regulators brought about long lasting and

stronger effects.

INTRODUcnON

bAa AND BA ON

sBX

EXPREssiON IN CORIANDri.

IS

MA'I'IIRIALS AND MBmoos

Tho study was carried out with

CIMPO

8-33, grown in open field in tfte premies of Lalbagh. Bangaiore. GAa (25· ppm), BA (250 ppm). !\q)arately

and

1ft 1 : I combination were administered inaquoous .foliar spray, along with 6.1

%

tween 20 into plants at S-leaf stage. TwoapplicatiQllS-were given.whh an interval of fifteen days between the treatments. The eft'ectiv~ cOncentration 'of the growth regulators, stage of application and the number of sprays were selected on the basis of an observation trial conducted earlier. The treatments were replicated 5 times in

a

tandomized block layout and data on the number of days tor theantllosis of

Drst

fiml'er,

number

ofbisexaal and male «owers per umbel or I,

n, nl

and Norder were recorded.

RESULTS

t'iA.

decreased

and BA :inon!ued the number

clays

tbr die &'l'rthesis of

first

fio*, ~ively(Fig. t). itA in tlCJIDbinativn with

GA,

cIid fIIOt &Iter thc law's inft'8ce'On tltis ~.

tOO

•

!'90

~ 0

,.

III

n

I

-

.,

n

~

!

1

.,..

A 8 C

...

E F

_<:

r

i FiR. J•. Number of-clays for the anthcsis of first flower·m Bulprian corian.aer

(Coriandtflm Mtlvltht L.) as affected in different tftlatmf:9ltS.

A-Control; B-GAs (2Sppm) (1 spray); C-GA,CU."m) (1 . . .) ;

i

D-4BA ( a ppm) (1 sPllllri; E-M (_~ '(2-stmtY); F-tJAa

I

(25 ppm) +BA (2S0ppm) (1: 1) (l spray); (G-GA. (25 ppmH.8A (250 ppm) (1 : 1) (2 spray)

I

!

The data as summarized in Tabie:-I'reveal that GAs given as a single spray cau,sed a .spectacular increase in the, number of both bisexual and male flowers per umbel (Fig, 28) and f!. powerful fall in sex ratio, the differences being less pronounced in the umbels of III and'IV order. In comparison with this, 2 sprays caused a,. stronger depression in sex ratio, a significant reduction in the yield of bisexual ioweI:s and a further raise in the number of male flowers in the umbels of I and II order (Fig. 3A) and a fall in the III and IV order.

On the other hand. single application of BA . brought about a notable raise in sex ratio and a decrease in the yieldof bisexual and male flowers (Fig: 2C and,3B).

T~e.effects of the treatment lasted upto uml1els,. of the ,II order. Two applications

(A) (H)

(C) (D)

GA, AND BA ON SEX EXPRBSSION IN CORIANDER

₁₁

cansed similar bnt more marked effects in UIllbels of I and II order. In addition, the treatment resulted in an increased yield of bisexual ft.owers in III and IV order umbels.

As compared to GAa, BA in combination with GAa decreased the number of bisexnal ilowers and total yield of ilowers (Fig. 20) except for an increase seen in III and IV order umbels of plants receiving 2 sprays. Further, the treatment reduced the number of male ilowers (Fig. 3C) and raised the sex ratio, compared to GA, alone.

Table 1. Effect of GAa and BA on sex expression in Bulgarian coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.J

OrGer of

Umbel

Treatment Bisexual

Sowers per umbel Male Sowers 'per umbel Total flowers per umbel

Bisexual _Male

I 1 2 3. 4 5 6 1 15.50 145.33* 125.61* 12.00 65.00* 114.67* 116.61* 3.15 11.61* 33.61* 3.00 2.00 9.33* 14.61* 79.25 151.00* 159.33* 15.00 67.00* 124.00* 131.34* 20.10 12.29 3.96 24.00 32.50 12.45 8.15 1.00 1.00* 1.00* 1.00* 1.00* 1.00*, B)O·

n

1 2 3. 4 5 19.18 102.61* 62.33 15.00 45.00* 22.06 55.61* 99.61* 10.33* 2.00* 101.83 15S.33* 161.00* 85.33* 41.00 4.01 2,61 1.61 1.26 25.60 1.00 1.00* 1.00* 1.00* 1.00*

6 124.33* 13.67* 13S.00* 12.97 1.00*

1 108.00* 12.33* 120.33* 10.37 1.00·

m

1 2 3 4 50.47 66.00 31.33* 51.30 61.90 94.61* 91.61* 61.61 118.31 160.61* 129.00 118.97 1.00 1.00 , 1.00­ 1.00

1.36

1.43 2.54· , 1.32

5 14.61* 10.20* 84.81* 7.32 1.00*

6 69.00 90.00 159.00 1.00 1.30

1 111.00* 16.61* 133.61 10,82 1.00

r

1 29.27 14.00 103.27 1.00 2.54

2 30.00 80.00 110.00 1.00 2.66

3 9.61· 49.00 58.61* 1.00 5.12*

IV

4 29.00 68.67 91.61 1.00 2.40

5 61.30* 11.60* 12.90 5.60 1.00*

6 31.00 72.00 109,00 1.00 1.95

7 65.33* 39.61* 105.00 1.91 1.00*

*

Significant at 5% level.

l-Control ; 2-GAs [(25 ppm) (1 spray)] ; 3=GAs (25 ppm) (2 spray); 4-BA {25O ppm) (1 spray) : 5-BA (250 ppm) (2 spray);

Fig. 3. A-GA Portion of the umbel of

n

order in different treatmen ts A-GAa ; B-BA; C-GAa+BA

On an ~verage basis" GAs caused a spectacular increase in the lower yield and a powerful fall in sex ratio (Fig. 4). The plants receiving 2 applications showed a decline in the flowe! yield, a further inctl!ase in the number of male flowers and a

Fig. 4. Average yield of male, bisexual and total ilowers per umbel and sex ratio in different treatments in Bulgarian Coriander (Coriandrum sati)lum L.)

A-GAa ( 25 ppm) (1 spray) B-GA. ( 25 ppm) (2 spray) C-BA (250 ppm) (1 spray) D-BA (250 ppm) (2 spray)

E-GA. (25 pp)+BA (250 ppm) (1:1) (1 spray) F-GAa(25 ppm)+BA (25Oppm) (1:1) (2 spray)

200

0.(

(1 d'

•

Total

rlI.(o'

'­

150

'0

"­

-

c

0 50

u

"­ I»

0

'"

-

0 c eo

oJ

:. -50

~

100

A 8 C 0 Ii F

19

GAs AND BA ON SEX EXPRESSION IN CORIANDER

stronger depression in sex ratio, compared to those receiving one spray. In contrast,

BA caused a depression in flower yield and an appreciable rarse in sex ratio. BAin combination with GAll reduced the latters effects on flower yield and sex ratio.

DJSCUSSI9N

From the point of cremocarp yield, male flowers do not make any contri­ bution, and, indeed, may diminish such yield by using up energy sources which could otherwise be directed to the productive bisexal flowers (Singh and Ramanujam, 1973). Hence, one way of improving the cremocarp yield would be to increase the ratio of male to bisexual :fiowers. The role of gibberelUns and cytokinins in sex expression is not well established. In general, gibberellins inCrease the male tendency (Wittwer and Bukovac, 1958; Clark and Kenny, 1968; Mohan Ram and Jaiswal, 1972; Krishnamoorthy, 2972). Contrary to expectation, GAs induces feminization of tassel in Zea mays (Krishnamoorthy, 1976). GAa induced improvement of flower yield in Bulgarian coriander was not useful from the yield point as thr. treatment lowered the ratio of male to bisexal flowers.

Cytokinins induced the formation of pistils in male flowers of vits species (Negi and Olmo, 1966; Hashizume and Iizuka, 1971). In the present investigation, BA reduced the yield of both bisexual and male flowers. Nevertheless, 1he treatment raised the ratio of male to bisexual flowers which was largely due to the powerful fall in the yield of male flowers. What is more expected is not a mere reduction in the number of male flowers but its combination with an increased production of bisexual flowers. This could be achieved by giving a simultaneous application of· GAs andBA.

From the foregoing results, it can be deduced that GAa and BA have diametrically opposite effects with regard to flowering and sex expression in Bulgarian coriander. BA reduced the effects of GAa on the above parameters. The effect of BA might be probably via an effect on the utilization of GAa. This view might be supported by the reported fact that cytokinins increased the levels of endogenous . gibberellin like substances as a consequence of lowered utilisation of the latter (Karanov and Vassilev, 1969). However, estimation of endogenous gibberelJins in BA treated plants has not been made to test this assumption.

ACKNOWLEDGf!MENTS

The author thanks Dr. Jayachandra, for guidance and Prof. M. Nagaraj, for encouragement and providing facilities. Her gratitude extends to tne authorities of Lalbagh, for providing :field and laix)Ur facilities. The supply of seed material by the authorities of CIMPO and the financial ~upport froIl1 C~IR ~JRF) are dulr

20 S.A. AMRUTAVALLI

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vesc­

tative growth in cucumifl stllivus. Science, 136 : 880-81,

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