![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
Abstract
Triacontanol (TRIA) is a saturated long-chain alcohol that is known to have a growth promoting activity in a number of plants when applied exogenously. However, the information is meagre and no work has been done so far regarding its effects on ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.), a medicinally important spice plant and one of the most heavily consumed dietary substance in the world. With this in view, a hypothesis was designed to address whether foliar application of TRIA could enhance the growth, productivity and quality attributes of ginger. The plants were sprayed with five concentrations of TRIA viz. 10−0, 10−7, 5 × 10−6, 10−6 and 5 × 10−5 M at 25-day intervals. Among the applied treatments, foliar spray of TRIA at 10−6 M proved optimum and significantly enhanced plant height, leaf density, number of tillers per plant, fresh and dry weights of shoot and rhizome, total chlorophyll content, leaf and rhizome nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentrations as well as rhizome carbohydrate and protein contents at 120 and 180 days after planting (DAP). This treatment also produced positively significant effects on oleoresin and essential oil contents as well as on yield attributes. However, at the highest concentration applied (5 × 10−5 M TRIA), all the parameters were significantly inhibited. Thus, theuse of foliar application of TRIA, especially at a concentration of 10−6 M might be considered suitable for promoting the production and quality of ginger crop.