Growth Retardants Research Articles

Financing green transformation in developing countries

ABSTRACT The prospects for external financing of green transformation and resilient post-COVID-19 recovery remain bleak for developing countries. The scope for mobilising substantial domestic resources is limited, while public-private partnerships and blended finance failed to mobilise promised finance. Borrowing from central banks remains the only viable option for financing green transformation. The conventional arguments against such borrowing, e.g. growth retarding acceleration inflation or macroeconomic instability do not have sound theoretical or empirical basis. However, democratic oversights are needed against fiscal abuse to ensure productive utilisation of borrowed funds. A high degree of coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities is also essential.

Effect of Plant Growth Retardants on Growth and Flowering of Dahlia (Dahlia variabilis L.) CV. Edinburgh

The present investigation was conducted in the Research Field, Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, from November 2021 to March 2022 to study the effect of plant growth retardants on the growth and flowering of dahlia (Dahlia variabilis L.) cv. Edinburgh. The seedlings were planted at a spacing of 50cm x 50cm from row to row and plant to plant to accommodate nine plants per 3- meter square area. The experiment's design used a Randomized Block Design with thirteen treatments that were duplicated three times. The plants were watered immediately after planting and at weekly intervals during the growing period. Based on the present investigation, the treatment T12 maleic hydrazide@1200ppm was found best in terms of plant growth parameters, flower, and yield of Dahlia. In terms of economics, the maximum Cost Benefit ratio (1: 2.62) was also found in treatment T12 maleic hydrazide@1200ppm, whereas the minimum Cost benefit ratio (1:1.33) was recorded in treatment T0 (Control).

Effects of plant growth retardant daminozide (Alar) on neuromuscular co-ordination behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

ABSTRACT Daminozide (alar), a plant growth retardant, is used in different fruit orchard to make fruits attractive and reduce pre-harvest losses. Previously data demonstrated that acute daminozide exposure affected reproductive fitness and produced neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. The goal of this study was to determine whether continuous exposure to daminozide affects neuromuscular co-ordination in D. melanogaster as manifested in various behavioral responses. Fruit flies were exposed to 200 or 400 mg/L concentration of daminozide for two successive generations. Treated D. melanogaster were examined for the behaviors indicative of neuromuscular coordination and cognitive abilities, that include climbing, social interaction, adult grooming, migration, flight, male aggression, and adult courtship. Aberrant behavioral responses were noted among treated D. melanogaster of both sexes as evidenced by the following parameters: reduction in flight duration, abnormal social interaction, altered copulatory acts, and over-aggressiveness. Data suggest that daminozide produces impairment in neuromuscular coordination and cognitive ability in Drosophila, which was reflected as altered behavioral patterns. As Drosophila is considered as a reliable in vivo model utilized in toxicity testing, our findings may help us to anticipate and monitor potential daminozide-induced toxicity in animals and humans.

Spermine-mediated metabolic homeostasis improves growth and stress tolerance in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) under water or high-temperature stress.

Plants have developed diverse defense strategies to reduce the detrimental effects of a wide range of environmental stresses. The objectives of this study were to explore the function of spermine (Spm) on mediating growth and physiological changes in water homeostasis, photosynthetic performance, and oxidative damage and to further examine the regulatory mechanism of Spm on global metabolites reprogramming and associated metabolic pathways in horticultural creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) under water and heat stresses. The 21-days-old plants were pretreated with or without 100 μM Spm for 3 days and then subjected to water stress (17% polyethylene glycol 6000), high-temperature stress (40/35°C, day/night), or normal condition (control without water stress and heat stress) for 18 days. Results demonstrated that exogenous application of Spm could significantly increase endogenous polyamine (PAs), putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and Spm contents, followed by effective alleviation of growth retardant, water imbalance, photoinhibition, and oxidative damage induced by water and heat stress. Metabolites' profiling showed that a total of 61 metabolites were differentially or commonly regulated by Spm in leaves. Spm upregulated the accumulation of mannose, maltose, galactose, and urea in relation to enhanced osmotic adjustment (OA), antioxidant capacity, and nitrogen metabolism for growth maintenance under water and heat stress. Under water stress, Spm mainly induced the accumulation of sugars (glucose-1-phosphate, sucrose-6-phosphate, fructose, kestose, maltotriose, and xylose), amino acids (glutamic acid, methionine, serine, and threonine), and organic acids (pyruvic acid, aconitic acid, and ketoglutaric acid) involved in the respiratory pathway and myo-inositol associated with energy production, the ROS-scavenging system, and signal transduction. In response to heat stress, the accumulation of alanine, glycine, gallic acid, malic acid, or nicotinic acid was specifically enhanced by Spm contributing to improvements in antioxidant potency and metabolic homeostasis. This study provides novel evidence of Spm-induced,tolerance to water and heat stresses associated with global metabolites reprogramming in favor of growth maintenance and physiological responses in horticultural plants.

Numerical and experimental investigation of residual stresses during the induction hardening of 42CrMo4 steel

The usage of induction hardening in the industry has increased in the last years due to its efficiency and repeatability. Induction hardening produces a hard martensitic layer on the specimen surface, which is accompanied by the generation of compressive residual stresses in the hardened case and tensile stresses in the untreated core. Residual stresses generated by induction hardening greatly impact on fatigue performance, as they act as crack growth retardants. In this work, a multiphysical coupled finite element model is developed to simulate induction hardening and compute the final residual stress state of the specimens along the microstructural transformations and hardness evolution. The impact of the transformation induced plasticity strain in the stress-state of the specimen during the process is also studied. The experimental validation shows that considering the transformation induced plasticity in induction hardening simulations improves the residual stress predictions, concluding that this effect should be included to achieve good residual stress predictions, especially in the subsurface region.

Measuring Fluorescence as a Means to Evaluate the Physiological Reaction to Growth Retardant Applied to Manage Turf

This paper presents the effects of the physiological reaction of the main cool-season grass species used for turf in a temperate climate: perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and tall fescue, on a twice-a-year trinexapac-ethyl (TE) application in late spring and early autumn, seasons of rapid turf growth. The fully established turf plots in the split-plot system of three replicates, with three cultivars/species, were treated by TE (1.5 and 4.5 g/100 m2). The 4.5 g/100 m2 was harmful to Kentucky bluegrass. The perennial ryegrass responded by dose-dependent growth inhibition; 30–60% in spring and 25–40% in autumn for lower and higher doses, respectively. Tall fescue responded by 50% growth inhibition independently of concentration and season. Plant physiological responses, visualized as graphs of fluorescence data, revealed the stress of Kentucky bluegrass upon high TE dose. Based on principal component analysis (PCA) analysis, three groups were distinguished: perennial ryegrass varieties from high and low TE treatments and Kentucky bluegrass varieties from high TE. TE-dependent growth reduction with no significant quality decrease benefits the environment by reducing carbon footprint machine operations (mowing). Utilizing fluorescence measurement may help to manage turf physiology.

Uses of Plant Growth Regulators and Biofertilizers in Fruit Crops: A Review

Plant growth regulators are extremely important natural hormones which control the growth and the physiological factors within the plant. They are naturally occurring as well as synthetic. PGRs like Auxins, ethylene, cytokinins and gibberellins are the growth inhibitors and growth retardants. The foliar application of plant growth regulators helped in increasing the quality of the fruit crops. Auxin is required for fruit retention in sweet cherry, litchi, grapevine, snake fruit and tomato. Most commonly used auxins are IBA, NAA, IAA, 2,4D etc. IBA at the concentration of 4000 ppm is the best plant growth regulator for rooting in cuttings. Gibberellins (GA) are diterpene plant hormones that influence various aspects of growth and development through complex biosynthetic processes. Application of GA with combination of Zinc and pruning showed better performance in fruit weight, ascorbic acid, and reduction in pre-harvest fruit drop. Repeated applications of brassinosteroid have a long-lasting effect on strawberry cv. Winter Dawn physiological growth. Triacontanol (TRIA), natural plant growth hormone in fruit crops. It regulates a variety of physiological processes in plants. Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant hormone best recognized for modulating host responses in response to pathogen infection.SA treatments boosted crop productivity and fruit quality criteria such as firmness, aril color, and individual sugar and organic acid concentrations at harvest. It is revealed by many studies that the application of biofertilizer play an essential role for increasing the sustainability of the soil and also enhance the organic matter content, aeration, fertility, availability of micro and macronutrients with in the soil which are the essential things for the better survival of the plant and results into the good quality and higher yield from the plant. The present review encompasses the use and the effect of different PGR’s and biofertilizer on the fruit crops.

Validating the physiological potential of zero monopodial compact cotton TCH 1819 culture by chemical manipulation

Cotton is the most important global cash crop which controls economy of many nations. Global sustainability of cotton yield is one of the major challenges for meeting impending threats under climate change. Though India is one among the leading countries in cotton production, the supply is not enough considering the increasing demand. Scientists across the Globe are indulged in developing new lines and cultures with capacity to produce more yields. In this context, here, we have made an attempt to study the growth, physiology, and yield traits of cotton culture - TCH 1819 before its release (now released in the name of CO 17) by different chemical treatments. Observation on the leaf gas exchange traits, leaf parenchymal cells distinguished the source sink relationship of the culture. Chemical manipulation by growth retardants reduced the gibberellins content and modified the foliage structure. By characterizing the physiological potential through manipulation by growth retardant (Mepiquat chloride (0.015 %)) increased the yield by 30%. The traits identified in this study are potential indicators in breeding programme before releasing the variety.

In Vitro Techniques for Shipping of Micropropagated Plant Materials

Shipping of in vitro micro-cuttings in tubes or jars is a frequently used method as the plants are more likely to quickly reproduce and comply with quarantine regulations in plant germplasm distribution. However, these containers are fragile during transportation. To diminish the risk associated with the long-distance shipping of in vitro plants, a safe and widely applicable packing and conservation technique based on microplate and slow growth was developed in this study. Potato cultivar ZHB and ginger cultivar G-2 were used to optimize the system with microplates (96 wells), vacuum-sealed packaging, and slow-growth techniques. Under regular culture conditions, packing in vacuum-sealed microplates reduced the survival of ZHB and G-2 micro-cuttings to 85.8% and 20.0%, respectively, and regeneration to 61.8% and 0%, respectively. Reducing the temperature to 10 °C maintained the survival of ZHB and G-2 micro-cuttings in the range of 83.3–100% after 60 days. Exposure to darkness decreased the survival of G-2 and inhibited regrowth. Thus, conservation in darkness at 10 °C is suggested. The effects of iron concentration and plant growth retardants were further assessed. The addition of 1/4 MS medium combined with 100 mg/L chlormequat chloride (CCC) resulted in full survival and growth inhibition of plantlets, without malformation identified. Finally, incubation with 1/4 MS medium supplemented with 100 mg/L CCC in vacuum-sealed microplates at 10 °C in the dark resulted in high survival and suppressed germination. Sweet potato HXS was incubated as well to test the broad-spectrum applications of the technique; 100% survival and 6.7% germination was gained. Morphological indices of released cuttings recovered to control levels after two cycles of subculture in MS medium. A 0.1–0.2% genetic variation was detected by SSR and ISSR, suggesting genetic stability of the conserved samples. Finally, micro-cuttings were safely transported to cities located thousands of kilometers away without package and sample damage. Our results enable easy distribution of in vitro plant germplasms.

Impact of Growth Retardant and Defoliant on Morpho-physiological Traits and Yield Improvement in Cotton

In cotton, mechanized harvesting has gained popularity in recent years due to labor-intensive process and shortage of labor. Moreover, mechanized harvesting of cotton depends on plant morphological characters like plant height, internodal length and synchronized boll maturity and opening etc. Mechanized harvesting enhancing the harvesting efficiency of cotton which is achieved by the use of some chemicals to attain good lint yield and fibre quality. With this background, the field experiment was conducted to study the impact of growth retardant and defoliant on morpho-physiological traits and yield improvement in cotton (CO 17) during 2021-2022 by following randomized block design with four treatments and five replications. The current study revealed that spraying of 0.015% mepiquat chloride (MC) at square formation and boll development stage significantly reduced the leaf area, plant height, total dry weight and boll number when compared to control. However, chlorophyll content and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were recorded higher in 0.015% mepiquat chloride (MC) applied treatments than control. Moreover, spraying of mepiquat chloride (0.015%) at square formation and boll development stage followed by spraying of 0.9% sodium chlorate (SC) at 60% boll bursting stage significantly increased the seed cotton yield compared to other treatments and recorded maximum seed cotton yield of 25.22% compared to control. Results clearly indicate that application of MC followed by SC could be a better practice for canopy management in cotton, resulting in improved efficiency of mechanical harvesting and good lint yield and fibre quality.

ESTIMATION OF PROTEIN METABOLITES DURING POSTHARVEST SHELF LIFE OF TITHONIA ROTUNDIFOLIA BLAKE

Senescence has a specialized meaning in plant biology, which is part of a cloud of terms mentioning generally to the process or condition of growing old. Many physiological changes takes place during senescence like Chlorophyll degradation; change in pigmentation; decrease the starch content, RNA and protein; DNA molecules are degraded by the enzyme DNase; growth promoting hormones such as cytokinin decrease; the deteriorative hormones such as ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) content are increases. Post harvest shelf life of cut flower is dependent on the water balance, level and supply of carbohydrates and susceptibility towards growth retarding hormone like ethylene which leads to senescence. Beside carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism is also known to be associated with the senescence process and programmed cell death (PCD). During senescence degradation of protein may occur and make free amino acids. Proteins play important role during senescence. During present study it was observed that the total protein content decreased during course of time under cut conditions of flower. This may be due to less reserve in cut condition.

Pembuatan Sabun Cair Berbasis Minyak Kelapa Dengan Proses Saponifikasi Untuk Menghambat Pertumbuhan Bakteri Dengan Penambahan Minyak Zaitun (Pure Olive Oil) Untuk Pelembap Kulit

This research was conducted to produce and determine liquid soap products that function as skin moisturizers and can inhibit microbial growth. In the process of making this liquid soap, two formulas are used, namely formula 1 which is made from coconut oil and alkali of KOH with the addition of olive oil and formula 2 which is made from coconut oil and alkali of KOH without the addition of olive oil . The manufacture of liquid soap in this study was carried out experimentally using the hot process method. Organoleptic testing with parameters of foam, skin dryness, and skin moisture was carried out using analytical observational and questionnaire methods involving fifteen correspondents. Testing the inhibition of microbial growth using Staphylococcus aureus bacteria contamination. The results obtained from this research are liquid soap formula 1 and formula 2 have a lot of foam and a very strong microbial growth retardant power, liquid soap formula 1 can moisturize the skin, and liquid soap formula 2 dries the skin. The results of this research, God willing, will be a reference for the author to continue this research to the stage of perfection and it is hoped that the results of this research can also be useful for the ummah and the nation in realizing a healthy life .

Molecular Dissection Unveiling Dwarfing Effects of Plant Growth Retardants on Pomegranate.

Dwarfed stature is a desired trait for modern orchard production systems. One effective strategy for dwarfing cultivation is exogenously applying plant growth retardants (PGRs) to plants. However, for many economic fruit trees, the current knowledge on the regulatory mechanisms underlying the dwarfing effect of PGRs is limited, which largely restricts the agricultural application of PGRs. In this study, we exogenously applied three kinds of PGRs [paclobutrazol, daminozide (B9), and mannitol] to the seedlings of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) and performed comparative transcriptome analysis to elucidate the molecular features of PGR-induced dwarfing in pomegranates. Our results showed that all the three PGRs could significantly suppress plant growth of pomegranate. The inhibition of auxin biosynthetic processes, as well as auxin-mediated shoot development, may be considered as the main reason for the dwarfing. Besides that, different PGRs were also found to induce dwarfing via specific mechanisms, for example, cellular response to strigolactone was particularly suppressed by the application of paclobutrazol, while the level of carbohydrate homeostasis and metabolism were downregulated in conditions of either B9 or mannitol treatments. Furthermore, exogenous PGR application was supposed to cause adverse impacts on the normal physiological process of pomegranate seedlings, which may bring extra burden to pomegranate plants. These novel findings unveiled the genetic basis underlying the dwarfing in pomegranates, which provides deeper insights into PGR-mediated dwarfing cultivation of pomegranates.

Induction of compact growth in Campanula portenschlagiana plants by ethanol treatments

ABSTRACT Reducing plant height for ornamental potted plants is an important factor. Conventionally, a compact growth is obtained through the extensive use of chemical growth retardants that can be hazardous to human health or the environment. In this study, ethanol irrigation was successfully proven to produce compact growth in the economically important ornamental plant Campanula portenschlagiana. The vegetative growth decreased when ethanol concentration was increased from 0.5% to 6%. Similarly, there was also a significant reduction in root length, while higher ethanol treatments from 4% were toxic and caused injuries. Further, higher ethanol levels led to partially leave yellowing or necrosis. An increase in osmotic potential was observed, but it was not significantly different between untreated plants and those treated under moderate ethanol concentration (0.5–2%). Considering the generative parameters, ethanol from 2% delayed flower formation and the longevity of flowers treated with the higher ethanol concentration (4–6%) is also significantly reduced. Generally, ethanol at moderate concentrations of 2% has desirable effects on vegetative growth traits, while it already affects generative growth, but without other obvious damage to the plants. Thus, it has been successfully demonstrated that ethanol watering is an alternative to other growth regulating agents or applications.

Optimizing ear-plant height ratio to improve kernel number and lodging resistance in maize (Zea mays L.)

Exogenous plant growth retardants (PGRs) increase yield by reducing lodging occurrence but lower yield if lodging is absent in maize (Zea mays L.). It is hypothesized that PGRs can increase maize yield as well as improve lodging resistance by optimizing application timing. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2018–2019 using plant growth regulator “Jindele” with active ingredients of ethephon and cycocel (EC; w/w=3:1), lodging susceptible (LS) and resistant (LR) maize hybrids, two plant densities of 60 000 and 90 000 plants ha−1, and four EC application treatments. EC was sprayed at the 8-leaf stage T(8), 15-leaf stage T(15), and both stages T(8 +15), respectively, and no EC application was regarded as control CK. On average, T(8) and T(8 +15) significantly reduced lodging percent compared with T(15) and control due to the optimized morphology and strength of stem and root. Both T(15) and T(8 +15) resulted in a higher kernel number per ear (KN ear−1) than T(8) and CK. In non-lodging conditions, T(15) yielded significantly better than CK, especially for LS hybrid in high plant density of 90 000 plants ha−1 (13,417.4 vs 11,219.2 kg ha−1), mainly as a result of increased kernel number. The increases in yield and kernel number were higher in LS hybrid than in LR hybrid. Both KN ear−1 and KN m−2 were significantly negatively correlated with internode length. The reduced internode length facilitated assimilate partitioning from leaves to the ear in T(8 +15) and T(15), thus increasing kernel number and weight. Ear-plant height ratio was considered an important parameter to evaluate lodging resistance and yield. The optimal ear-plant height ratios were estimated to be 36.6% for KN ear−1, 39.4% for KN m−2, and 38.4% for yield. The optimal range of ear-plant height ratio (36.60%39.43%) should be taken into account when breeding or selecting lodging-resistant and high-yielding hybrids as well as developing crop management to cope with lodging in practice.

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Growth and Quality Flower Production of Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum Indicum L.)

A field study was conceded to assess the effect of plant growth regulators on growth and quality flower production of chrysanthemum at Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), Gazipur, Bangladesh. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with ten (10) treatments and three replications. The treatments of plant growth regulators concentration were T1-50 ppm GA3, T2-100 ppm GA3, T3-150 ppm GA3, T4-400 ppm CCC, T5-600 ppm CCC, T6-800 ppm CCC, T7-250 ppm MH, T8-500 ppm MH, T9-750 ppm MH and, T10-Control. The maximum spreading of plant (27.0 cm) was observed when plants were treated with GA3 @ 150 ppm where the minimum plant spread (16.8 cm) was recorded in plants treated with CCC @ 800 ppm. The higher number of suckers (33) per pot was produced when pots were treated with GA3 @ 150 ppm whereas, application of CCC at three different concentrations produced lower number of suckers. The highest number of flower (40) was recorded with 150 ppm GA3, where minimum number of flowers (25) per pot in 800 ppm CCC. The plants sprayed with 50 ppm GA3 took 48 days to flower initiation, whereas, it took 70 days with 750 ppm MH. the highest plants recorded (7.40 cm) with 800 ppm CCC, whereas, lowest size (6.50 cm) was obtained with the application of 500 ppm MH. The maximum vase life of flowers was recorded for the treatment 800 ppm CCC (15 days), which was at par with 13 days vase life obtained by spraying 600 ppm CCC. Therefore, it is concluded that the GA3 acted as growth promoter and the CCC acted as growth retardants on yield and quality of chrysanthemum.

Exogenous application of bio-stimulant and growth retardant improved the productivity of cotton cultivars under different planting arrangement.

Optimum planting arrangement is an important attribute for efficient utilization of available resources and to obtain high yield of cotton. Application of plant growth promoter and retardant on cotton in improved planting density are the innovative techniques in the establishment of more productive cotton crop. Therefore, we planned a field study to assess the role of bio-stimulant and growth retardant in the resource utilization efficiency of cotton cultivars planted under variable row spacing at Agronomic Research Area Bahauddin Zakariya University and Usmania Agricultural Farm Shujabad during Kharif 2012. Experimental treatments consisted of cotton genotypes viz. CIM-573 and CIM-598, cultivated under conventional (75 cm), medium (50 cm) and ultra-narrow row spacing (25 cm) with foliar spray of bio-stimulant (moringa leaf extract) and growth retardant (mepiquate chloride), either sole or in combination, keeping distilled water as a control. Exogenously applied MLE alone and MLE + MC significantly enhanced the number of squares, flowers and green bolls per plant leading to higher cotton seed and lint yield of CIM 598 cultivar cultivated under conventional row spacing. While application of MC alone and MLE + MC produced maximum micronaire value, fiber strength and fiber uniformity ratio of CIM 573 cultivar cultivated under conventional row spacing. The results suggested that application of MLE is a possible approach to enhance the cotton productivity and the use of MC to enhance the fiber quality attributes under conventional row spacing.

Influence of Crop Geometries and Growth Regulators on Weed Growth and Yield of Machine Sown High Density Cotton

Field experiments were conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during Winter irrigated seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 to study the effect of weed growth by growth retardants on machine-sown cotton under high-density planting system. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design, and the treatments were replicated thrice. Main plot treatments comprised of three crop geometries viz., 75 cm x 10 cm (M1), 75 cm x 20 cm (M2) and 75 cm x 30 cm (M3) and seven sub plots of foliar application of growth retardants along with one control viz., Cycocel 400 ppm (S1), Cycocel 500 ppm (S2), Mepiquat Chloride 100 ppm (S3), Mepiquat Chloride 200 ppm (S4), Maleic Hydrazide 400 ppm (S5), Maleic Hydrazide 500 ppm (S6) and Control (No Spray) (S7). Cotton genotype TCH 1819, developed for synchronized maturity exclusively to fit into high density planting system, was used as the test crop. The cotton crop was raised under raised bed and the major cultivation practices were carried out with machines namely; inclined plate planter for sowing, power weeder for weeding and drip system for irrigation and fertigation. However, harvesting was done manually. Weed infestation in cotton increased with 75 cm x 10 cm spacing compared to wider spacing. With respect to foliar application of growth retardants, there were no significant differences observed among the treatments tested during both the years of the study.

Efficacy of Prohexadione calcium and Paclobutrazol on Storage Life of Clapp’s Favorite Pear

Present investigation was carried out to study the efficacy of growth retardants viz., prohexadione calcium and paclobutrazol on storage life of pear cv. ‘Clapp’s Favourite’ during the year 2015-2016. The experiment was laid out with thirteen treatments replicated thrice on 12-year-old-pear tree with uniform vigor and health under uniform cultural practices. The treatment comprises of single and double spray of growth retardants, i.e., prohexadione calcium (100 ppm, 200 ppm and 300 ppm) and paclobutrazol (100 ppm, 200 ppm and 300 ppm). The orchard soil was moderately deep with good fertility status. Data was recorded on storage life of the pear at (7, 14, 21 and 28) day’s interval and results revealed that both the growth retardants prohexadione calcium and paclobutrazol had showed a significant influence on total sugars, TSS, acidity and physiological loss in weight. After 28 days of storage minimum physiological loss in weight (14.17 %) and acidity (0.20 %) was recorded with the application of prohexadione calcium @ 200 ppm sprayed twice closely followed by prohexadione calcium @ 200 ppm sprayed twice. Application of prohexadione calcium @ 200 ppm and paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm had also showed a significant influence on TSS (15.31 % and 15.17 %, respectively) and total sugars (13.48 % and 13.40 %). Minimum values for all the characters were observed in control. Results revealed that application of prohexadione calcium @ 200 ppm and 300 ppm sprayed twice will enhance the shelf life of Clapp’s Favourite pear.

The application of ammonium sulphate and amino acid on cotton: effects on can improve growth, yield, quality and nitrogen absorption

A field study was carried out to determine the influence of foliage applied plant growth promoter and retardant in improving soil applied sulphur fertilizer use efficiency in cotton during two consecutive summers 2014 and 2015. Experimental trial comprised of three different sources of sulphur (ammonium sulphate, potassium sulphate and elemental sulphur) and foliar spray of plant growth promoter and growth retardant including tap water was taken as control. Among treatments soil applied ammonium sulphate with foliage applied amino acid produced maximum plant height, sympodial branches, pods per plant, seed cotton yield, fiber yield, biological yield, protein contents, oil contents and leaf nitrogen uptake as compared to the other treatments. Whereas, soil applied potassium sulphate with foliar spray of mepiquat chloride on cotton significantly improved the boll weight and leaf potassium uptake. We conclude that soil applied ammonium sulphate and foliage spray of amino acid was more effective in improving the productivity and quality attributes of cotton.