IMPACT OF GROWTH REGULATORS AND NUTRIENT APPLICATION ON FLOWERING IN TOMATO UNDER CO2 ENRICHMENT AND ASSOCIATED HIGH TEMPERATURE

G.A. LAKSHMI¹*, R.V MANJU², M.M. VIJI³, R. BEENA⁴, S. ROY⁵, S. SARADA⁶, A.J. AMMU⁷, G.A. SRIKANTH⁸, R. MANASA⁹, V. SREEVARDHAN^10
1Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
²Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
³Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
⁴Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
⁵Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
⁶Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
⁷Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
⁸Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
⁹Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
¹⁰Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, 695522, India
* Corresponding Author : lakshmigajaykau@gmail.com

Received : 02-03-2020     Accepted : 28-03-2020     Published : 30-03-2020
Volume : 12     Issue : 6       Pages : 9642 - 9644
Int J Agr Sci 12.6 (2020):9642-9644

Keywords : Tomato, Carbon dioxide, Climate change, Flowering, Growth regulators, Nutrients
Academic Editor : Dr Vijay Prajapati, Er Priti S. Jayswal, Namrata Dwivedi, Dr P. Lakshmi Manohari, Panja Payel
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to Kerala State Planning Board for the financial support for establishing Open Top Chamber facility for carbon dioxide enrichment studies at Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 522. Authors are also thankful to Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, 680 656, Kerala, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

The investigation aimed at studying the effect of elevated CO2 and associated high- temperature on flowering in tomato var. Vellayani Vijay and their improvement through the application of growth regulators and additional dose of nutrients. A pot culture study was undertaken with the treatments- foliar spray of NAA (50 ppm), SA (50 ppm), Boron (50 ppm) and Boron (50 ppm) + Zinc (50 ppm) at 40, 55 and 70 DAS, and additional nutrient treatments of POP 125% N: 100% P: 100 % K and POP 125% N: 125% P: 125 % K in equal splits, water spray and a control using open top chamber system. CO2 enrichment resulted in a significant delay in flowering and increased flower clusters per plant compared to control. Additional NPK and foliar spray of Boron (50ppm) + Zinc (50 ppm) resulted in a significantly higher number of flower clusters and flowers per cluster respectively under elevated CO2 condition.

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