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£ $ Indian J. Plant Physiol., Vol. XXVIII No.3, pp. 298-302 (September 1985)SHORT COMMUNICATION
EFFECT OF SOME PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND GIBBERELLIC ACID ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHEENA
MILLET (PANICUM MILIACEUML.)
K.S. DATTA AND K.K. NANDA·
Department of Botany, Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar
Gibberellic acid (GA.) and phenolic compounds salicylic acid (SA), p-naphthol (P-N), chlorogenic acid (CA) and tannic acid (TA) hasten the emergence of ears and increase plant height, number of grains and 1,000 grain weight in cheena millet (PanicllIII miliaceum L.). The effect of treatment with some combinations of GA. with a phenol was more than with the phenol alone. It is suggested that the effect of phenols may be mediated through an increase in mobilization of reserve food materials and is not related to their structural configuration as is considered by some workers.
Phenolic compounds like GAs, hasten ear emergence and increase the yield characters in different crop plants viz., Setaria italica L., Triticale and Panicum
miliaceum L. (Nanda et al., 1977; Datta and Nanda, 1978; Datta et al., 1978).
These affect germination and seedling growth in Cajanus cajan L. and Cicer
arietinum L. as well (Tayal and Sharma, 1981; Sharma and Tayal, 1984). As GAa+ a phenol was found to accelerate floral bud initiation in Impatiens
balsamina.. and also to increase the number of floral buds more t han each alone (Nanda et al., 1976; Nanda and Kumar, 1977), it was considered to be of interest to investigate the interaction effect of phenols and GAs on growth and develop. ment of cheena millet (Panicum miliaceum L.).
The plants from pure line seed of P. miliaceum line CO. 1 were raised in earthen-ware pots (30 cm diaJ containing 1:3 mixture of sand and garden soil. Two experiments were carried out; the first to study the effect of two mono phenols-SA and
fJ-N
and the second to study the effect of two polyphenols-CA and TA.PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND GA ON CHEENA MILLET 299
In each experiment 150 plants each with 6-7 unfolded leaves, were divided into 15 groups with 10 plants in each group. In experiment I while group 1 was treated with water to serve as control, groups 2-7 were trellted with 1 and 100 mg/litre each of GAs, SA and {J-N and groups 8-15 with 1 and 100 mg/l GAs in combination with 1 and leO mg/1 SA and {J-N, respectively. In experiment II, while GAs, different groups and c.oncentrations were the same as in experiment I, CA and TA were used instead of SA and {J-N, respectively. The test solutions were sprayed on the plants with an atomiser at 4-day intervals.
The dates of emergence of ears on the main shoots were recorded daily. Observations on plant height, number of ears produced and the number and weight of grains were recorded when the experiments Were terminated after 84 days.
The results are presented in Figs. 1-5.
Plant beight: Figs. 1 and la show that plants treated with GAs grew taller than the control, 100 mgt] being more effective than 1 mg/1 in both experi ments. Amongst the phenols. SA and {J-N increased the height more than the control. While the effect of SA did not differ with concentration, that of {J-N was more with 100 mg/l than with 1 mg/I. The height of plants treated with the combination GAs
+
a phenol in general was more than that of plants treated with the respective concentration of the poenol alone and in case of those treatedI
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300 K.S. DATTA AND K.K. NANDA
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FIG 5
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o z • vEffect of gibberellicj acid (GA.) and some phenolic compounds-salicylic acid (SA),
~-naphthol (~-N). chlorogenic acid (CA), and tannic acid (TA) each alone and in combination
with each other on plant height (Figs. 1 and la), days to ear emergence (Figs. 2 and 2a), number of ears/plant (Figs. 3 and 3a), number of grains (Figs. 4 and 4a) and l,O(J().grain
weight (Figs. S and Sa) on Pilnicum miliaceum L.
with the combination GAs (100 mg/I)
+
SA or/l-N
even more than GAs (100 mg/I) except GAs (I mg/I) which did not alter the effect of SA (1 mg/I) or /l-N (100 mg/I). Plants treated' with the combination GAs+
CA and GAs+
TA reached a level in height more or less equal to that of plants treated with the respective concentration of GAs alone.Days to ear emergence on the main axis: GAs as well as all phenols hastened the emergence of ears (Figs. 2 and 2a), the effect not differing with the concentration of the chemical. The effect of treatment with the combinations GA3
+
a phenol also did not differ from that with each alone except in plants treated with combination GAa (100 mg/I)+
CA (100 mg/I) where the ears emerged earlier than in plants treated with each alone.·.~
PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND GA ON CHEENA MILLET 301
GAll (100 rog/I)
+
fJ-N
(1 mg/I) and GAll (I rog/I)+
CA (1 mg/I) which increased, and GAll (1 mg/I+
fJ-N
(100 mg/I) or SA (1 mg/I) or TA (1 mg/I) which decreased the number of ears significantly more than the same concentra tion of the respective phenol alone (Figs. 3 and 3a).Number of grains : Figs. 4 and 4a show that GAs as well as all phenols increased the number of grains per plant. While the increase did not differ significantly with the concentration of GAs and CA, it was more with 100 mg/l each of SA and
fJ-N.
but with I than 100 mg/l TA. While treatment with the combination GAll+
TA (100 mg/I) and GAll (100 mg/I)+
{I-N (1 mg/I) or SA(1 mgl I) increased, and that with the combination GAs (1 mg/I) {I-N (I mg/I) or CA (100 mg/I) did not alter. that with the combinations GAs (1 mg/I)
+
SA(l mgt t) or T A (l mgt t) decreased the number of grains more than the same concentration of the respective phenol alone.
1,OOO-grain weight: GAa as well as all phenols increased the l,OOO-grain weight (Figs. 5 and 5a). The increase was more with lOO than 1 mg/l each of SA, {I-N and CA but did not differ with concentration ofTA. While treatment . with the combination GAs (l mg/I) CA (100 mg/I) decreased the l,Ooo-grain weight. Treatment of plants with other combinations did not alter the effect of the same concentration of the respective phenol alone. .
The results show that the increase in plant height caused by the tried phenols is interesting as it is contrary to the results of Marigo and Baudet (1975); who reported that phenolics cause a decrease in vegetative growth of
Lycopersicum esculentum Mill. However, the hastening effect of phenols and GAs on ear emergence is in accord with the results on this and other plants reported from our laboratory (Nanda et 01., 1976; Datta and Nanda, 1978; Datta
et al., 1978).
But the more significant finding of this investigation is the marked increase in grain yield that these phenols cause when applied exogenously. The results demonstrate that the increase in grain yield is a consequence of an increase in the number of ears producing more and heavier grains which is apparent from the increase that they cause in thousand grain weight. This is ascribed to mobilization of reserve food materials to the sinks for grain lilling process by increasing the activities of hydrolysing and oxidative enzymes (Sawhney et al., 1979).
302
~j)a!l
1
K.S. DATTA AND K.K. NANDA
ring should be free. The results show that the effect of phenols on growth and development is independent of its structural configuration (Nanda et al., 1976; Nanda and Kumar, 1977). Thus the plant height, number of ears and grain yield are increasedby the two monophenols although they have only one OH group and by both the polyphenols even though they do not fulfil this condition.
REFERENCES
Datta, K.S. and Nanda, K.K. (1978). Effect of some phenols and gibberellic acid on growth and development of'T22' Triticale. Ind. J. agric. Sci., 48 : 89-93.
Datta, K.S., Kumar, S. and Nanda, K.K. (1978). Effect of some phenolic compounds and gibberellic acid on flowering and yield characters of cheena millet (Panicum mtliaceum L.}. ,J. agric. Sci,. Camb., 91: 731-S.
Hess, C.E. (1968) Internal and external factors regulating root intiation. Proc. XV. Easter
School in Agric. Sci., University 0/ Nottingham, 42-53.
Marigo, G. and Boudet, A. (197S). Role des polyphenol dans la croissance. Definition dun models experimental chez Lycopersicllm esculentum. Physiol. Pl., 34 :
si-s.
Nanda, K.K.. Kumar. S. and Sood, V. (1976). Effect of gibberellic acid and some phenols OD
flowering of Impatiens balsamina. - a qualitative short day plant. New Phytol.
78: 403-6.
Nanda, K.K., Kumar, S. and Datta, KS. (1977). Interaction effect of gibberellic acid and some monophenols on growth and development ofItaHan millet. Indian J. agric. Sci., <f7 : 441~5.
Nanda, K.K and Kumar, S. (1977). Effect of gibberellic acid and some polyphenols on flowering of Impatiens balsamina L., a qualitative short day plant. New Phytol.,
78: 403-6.
Sawhney, S., Sawlmey, N., Kumar, S. and Nanda, K.K. (1979). Enzyme and electrophoretic
pattern of isoenzymes of llmyJase, catalase, and peroxidase in photo-and gibbere llin induced plants of Impatiens balsamina L. New Phytol., 82 : 41-7.
Sharma, S.M. and Tayal, M.S. (1984). Effect of some phenols and GA. on germination, early seedling growth and «-amylase and protease activity of Cicer arietinum L. Jour. Ind. Bot. Soc., 63 : 261-5.
