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Auxins and cytokinin as a biostimulant for cassava root initiation and tuberization


S.P. Abah
U.E. Okoroafor
G.C. Nsofor
E Uba
J.O. Mbe
S.C. Njoku
C.N. Egesi

Abstract

Plant biostimulant is any substance applied to plants with the aim to enhance nutrition efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance and/or crop quality traits, regardless of its nutrients content. In view of this, a field experiment was conducted to investigate auxins and cytokinins as a biostimulant for cassava root initiation and tuberization at different concentration rates grown under rainfed conditions. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. A 3x3x2 factorial arrangement was used, corresponding to three varieties (TME419, Umucass 37 and CR41-10) and three concentrations of two PGRs which were α- naphthalene acetic (NAA) acid as auxins (0, 0.1 and 0.2mM) and 6-benzyladenine (BA) as cytokinins (0, 0.2, and 0.5mM). The Result showed that application of auxins and cytokinins promotes slightly early growth of cassava. The response to the biostimulant depends on the cassava varieties. The biostimulant application caused the greatest growth increase in CR 41-10 than in Umucass 36 and TME419 varieties. Application of auxins enhances growth and root development while cytokinins had no significant effect on root initiation and tuberization.

Keywords: Auxins, cytokinins, biostimulant, root initiation and tuberization


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print ISSN: 0300-368X