TRIACONTANOL – INDUCED CHANGES IN GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM MILL.)

Journal Article

Khan, M. Masroor A. Khan, M. Mujibur-Rahman, M. Naeem, Firoz Mohammad, Manzer H. Siddiqui, and M. Nasir . 2006

• Publication Online URL: Electronic Journal of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Chemistry
• Volume Number: 5
• Pages: 1492 to 1499

Publication Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of foliar spray of plant growth regulator triacontanol – a naturally occurring long-chain aliphatic alcohol – on growth, yield and quality parameters of two varieties (Hyb-SC-3 and Hyb-Himalata) of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). Plants were sprayed twice with 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 ppm aqueous triacontanol. Increasing levels of the growth regulator up to 1.00 ppm enhanced most parameters, including fruit yield, particularly of Hyb-SC-3. Surprisingly, beta-carotene and lycopene contents were also increased by triacontanol application, although it was expected that both should show inverse relationship as the former comes in the downstream of the later in their biosynthetic pathway. However, ascorbic acid was not affected by the spray of triacontanol.