Department of Agricultural Botany and Department of Biochemistry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362 001, India.
Field experiment was conducted to assess the response of salicylic acid and brassinolide on yield and quality traits of chickpea leaves. Foliar spray of salicylic acid @ 50 and 100 ppm and brassinolide @ 40 and 60 ppm was conducted at vegetative (40 days after sowing) and reproductive (55 days after sowing) stages of chickpea cultivar GG -1 in rabi season. The results showed significant differences in seed yield and biochemical composition of leaves viz., protein, total sugar, carbohydrate content, α-amylase and nitrate reductase activity between untreated and treated chickpea leaves. The seed yield increased significantly by treatment with both regulators sprayed at both stages; the maximum yield enhancement was observed in plants sprayed with 40 ppm brassinolide at reproductive stage. Between the two growth regulators, 50 ppm salicylic acid was effective with respect to protein content as well as α-amylase and nitrate reductase activity, while brassinolide showed better results in terms of enhancement of total soluble sugar and carbohydrate content. Spraying of growth regulators at vegetative stage was found better in terms of increased sugar and nitrate reductase activity, whereas spray at reproductive stage elicited better response in terms of α-amylase and yield. Improvement in biochemical composition of chickpea leaves in terms of increased content of metabolites studied coupled with higher seed yield point out to the beneficial effect of salicylic acid and brassinolide.
α-amylase, brassinolide, carbohydrate, chickpea, nitrate reductase activity, protein content, salicylic acid, total sugar, seed yield
