Exogenous application of synthetic auxin (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) impacts on growth, yield, and nutritional parameters of lentil (Lens culinaris M.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the impacts of exogenous application of synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on lentil (Lens culinaris M.) growth, yield, and nutritional parameters in the Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. Six treatments of 2,4-D (T0 = 0; T1 = 0.3; T2 = 0.5; T3 = 0.8; T4 = 1; and T5 = 1.2 ppm 2,4-D) with three replications were used in this study. Data on growth, yield, and nutritional parameters were collected and analyzed. The response of exogenous application of 2,4-D was significant in improving the performance of all the growth and yield contributing parameters as compared to untreated control plants. Exogenous application of 1 ppm 2,4-D was found to be effective for increasing plant height, branch number, root length, root-shoot fresh, and dry weight, nodule number, flower number, pod number, pod length, number of grains plant-1, 100-grain weight, and yield. Exogenous 2,4-D treatment significantly reduced the maturity time of lentil grain. The lowest date of maturity was found at 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 ppm 2,4-D treatments. In this study, results showed a significant increase of different macro- (N, P, K) and micro- (Fe, Mn, Zn) nutrient content, uptake, and protein content in lentil grains with 1 ppm 2,4-D. It has been also revealed that the minimum requirement of 2,4-D to produce 80% lentil yield was 0.83 ppm. As a result, it was determined that the exogenous application of 2,4-D treatments is promising for enhancing the growth and productivity of lentil.

Keywords:

• 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
• exogenous
• maturity
• nutrient
• synthetic auxin
• treatment
• yield

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the authority of BAU and BINA (especially Biotechnology Division) for giving us such kind of research opportunities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific funding.