Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Division, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, P.O. CIMAP, Lucknow-226 015, India.
*Corresponding author, E-mail: ahafarooqi@yahoo.com.
Vetiver is important source of essential oil production in drought region. Responses of Vetiveria zizanioides (vetiver) to drought stress and ameliorative effect of chlormequat chloride, paclobutrazol and ethrel application to drought stressed plants were studied. In the first experiment, relative water content, root yield, oil concentration, khusimol content and oil yield decreased under drought while khusinol and proline concentration increased under drought stress. Ameliorative effects of paclobutrazol and chlormequat chloride were observed in drought stressed plants as root yield, oil concentration and oil yield increased significantly in paclobutrazol treated stressed plants, while oil concentration and khusimol content increased significantly in chlormequat chloride treated stressed plants. In the second experiment oil concentration, and oil yield increased under drought stress and ameliorative effect of chlormequat chloride was observed on oil concentration in drought stressed plants. Changes in physiological traits indicated that paclobutrazol and chlormequat chloride can partially alleviate the detrimental effect of drought.
Chlormequat chloride, drought, paclobutrazol, Vetiveria zizanioides
