Foliar applied brassica water extract improves the seedling development of wheat and chickpea
Omer Farooq1*, Muqarrab Ali2, Naeem Sarwar1, Atique ur Rehman1, Muhammad Mazhar Iqbal3, Tayyaba Naz4, Muhammad Asghar1, Fahid Ehsan5, Muhammad Nasir1, Qari Muhammad Hussain1, Sohaib Afzal1
1Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
2Department of Agronomy, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
3Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, Department of Agriculture, Government of Punjab, Chiniot, Pakistan
4Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
5Regional Agricultural Economic Development Centre, Vehari, Pakistan
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to check the brassica water extract as natural growth regulator in improving the seedling development of wheat and chickpea. Experimental treatments included five low concentration levels of brassica water extract as 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5% and 3% as foliar spray. Two other treatments where no spray and water was used as foliar spray, were considered as control treatments. To compare the efficacy of natural growth regulator, a synthetic source was also maintained among foliar sprays in the form of 6-Benzylaminopurine. In conclusion, results of the experiment concluded that 2% brassica water extract was most effect level to maximally boost the seedling characteristics like shoot/root biomass, shoot/root length and number of leaves till 20 days after germination. However, this level varied in case of chickpea where a bit higher concentration, 3% yielded maximum outcomes to the recorded parameters. So, findings of the study suggest that growth promotion potential of crops like brassica should be exploited in sustainable agriculture systems.
