EFFECT OF DISEASE (ALTERNARIA LEAF BLIGHT) RESISTANCE ELICITORS ON GROWTH PARAMETERS OF TOMATO PLANT

Abstract

Effect of Alternaria leaf blight disease resistance elicitors (chemicals) viz. salicylic acid (1.0 and 1.5 mM conc.), β- aminobutyric acid (10.0 and 15.0 mM conc.), chitosan (15.0 mM conc.) and 2,6 dichloroisonicotinic acid (10.0 mM conc.) as seed treatment was studied on the growth parameters of tomato plants viz. germination percentage, shoot length, root length, seedling vigor index and dry matter weight. The maximum per cent increase in seed germination (17.33%), shoot length (20.27 %), root length (17.19%) and seedling vigor index (39.44 %) was obtained with seed treatment of β-aminobutyric acid @ 15.0 mM concentration over control. However the maximum increase (21.05 %) in dry matter weight was obtained with chitosan @ 15.0 mM concentration over control. These results are conclusive that the disease resistance chemical elicitor β-aminobutyric acid also increases the tomato plant growth parameters.