Effect of Growth Regulators and Cloching on the Anatomy of Some Strawberry Cultivars

The effect of some growth regulators and cloching on theanatomy of petiole and leaf lamina of the strawberry cv. Katrain Sweet and Pusa Early Dwarf have been reported.

All GA treatments and cloching increased the petiole lentgh and the epidermal and parenchyma cell length. The cell width was not affected. The effect of these treatments was much more pronounced in the first leaf and was followed by older and second leaves. GA+cloching showed greatest response in most of the cases. The effect of GA treatment and cloching was greater in PED than in KS in most of the respects.

Where CCC or B-Nine was combined with GA, the increase in petiole length, epidermal and parenchymatus cell length was always less than in the corresponding treatment of GA alone. These inhibitory effects of growth retardants were much more pronounced in the older leaves and less in the first and second leaves. In all the treatments cell division was also increased.

The length of upper and lower epidermal cells in leaf lamina were also increased. All the treatments increased the number of xylem rows, number and size of xylem vessels in the central vascular bundle of petiole and lamina of both the cultivars.