Growth of Mustard under Open Field Conditions with Salicylic Acid and Antimicrobial Thiourea

Abstract

Mustard plants were subjected to varying doses of thiourea (TU) and salicylic acid (SA) to assess their response as growth regulators. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that the growth regulator SA can enhance the protection of the photosynthetic apparatus by up-regulating morphological traits in these plants. The experimental design involved sowing mustard seeds under natural environmental conditions in a field setting. Upon reaching the 15-day growth stage, the plants were subjected to different TU and SA treatment levels for 3 days. Subsequently, they were allowed to continue growing for 90 days. Various morphological traits were meticulously evaluated in the standing mustard plants. Following the application of SA and TU, noticeable improvements were observed in the number of nodes, primary branches, leaf area, and intermodal length of the plants. The data suggested that the morphological traits in the mustard plants were up-regulated by applying SA and TU. Furthermore, after using these substances, a detailed analysis of the alterations in functional groups within the leaves was conducted.. KEYWORDS :Brassica juncea, Growth regulators, Morphology, Salicylic acid, Thiourea