Effects of photoperiod and certain chemicals on chlorophyll retention of excised leaves of Eleusine corocana during senescence

Abstract

The influence of 20 μg/ml of benzimidazole (BZI) and 2-chloroethyl-trimethyl-ammonium chloride (CCC), and short photoperiod (SP) of 8 hr daylength alternated with 16 hr darkness, normal photoperiod (NP) of 12 hr photoperiod alternated with 12 hr darkness, long photoperiod (LP) of 16 hr photoperiod alternated with 8 hr darkperiod, BZI or CCC in combination with specific photoperiods on chlorophyll retention of 2-week old excised leaves of Eleusine corocana var IE69 during senescence has been studied. BZI was found to be a strong senescence inhibitor. CCC proved to be a weaker antisenescence chemical. Long photoperiod was more effective in senescence inhibition than normal or short photoperiod. The effectiveness of BZI or CCC on retardation of senescence increased by their combination with photoperiod. The effectiveness of different treatments in senescence inhibition was as follows: BZI>CCC; LP>NP>SP; SP<CCC+NP = LP<CCC+LP = BZI+LP>LP<BZI+NP>BZI+SP. There was observed a linear relationship between the chlorophyll retention and the length of photoperiod in detached leaves of Eleusine corocana.