Effect of miraculan of seed germination parameters in Cowpea under water stress

A study was conducted to see the effect of Miraculan (Triacontanol) on various seed germination parameters under water stress. The experiment revealed that the speed of germination and seedling growth parameters showed better increment with lower concentrations (0.1 to 0.8ml/L) than higher concentrations (1.0 to 1.6ml/L) of Miraculan. Thus, 0.6ml/L proved to be most beneficial for the enhancement of seed germination parameters, hypocotyl length. While, 0.2ml/L showed maximum increase in radicle length & 0.8ml/L showed maximum Emergence Index. Thus, for all the parameters lower concentrations proved to be beneficial for increasing seed germination and seedling growth.

growing seasons and greater synchrony in development and maturity are desirable.Further, per capita availability of arable land is also declining.At the same, input use efficiency is relatively low despite incrased irrigation and fertilizers use.On the basis of trend in population increase, the surest and cheapest ways of increasing the availability of food or vegetable crop is to apply some eco-friendly methods, like judicious application of some important agrochemicals (Ries et al.,. 1983; Ries and Houtz, 1983;Ries,19851991;Malik et al., 1987; Yadav et al., Setia et al.,, 1991; Raghave and Raghava, 1990Raghava, ,1991;;Ansari et al., 2001;Gupta et al.,;2002;Khan et al., 2006).
TRIA has been reported to stimulate seedling growth I tomato, rice, corn and barley (Ries and Wert, 1977;Ries et al., 1977).Bittenbender et al.,. (1978) observed that when TRIA applied to IR- 8 rice seedling in nutrient solution caused an increase in dry weight during a 6-hour dark period.By reviewing the current literature, the least work has been found on the effect of TRIA on leguminous plants.Therefore, the work has been carried out on seedling growth parameters of cowpea, an important vegetable as well as fodder crop.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The Germination Experiment was conducted in the laboratory in the year 2005, March to April (3 sets) on cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.Family-Fabaceae; Var.Gomati (vu-89)] The first Secreeing experiment form 10 th March to 25 th march, second from 15 th to 30 th March and third from 20 th March to 4 th April 2005 was conducted.Before soaking the seeds were surface-sterilized with 0.1%HgCl 2 for a minute.The selected seeds were treated with different concentrations of Mircalun (0.1,0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0., 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 ml/L) against control.After this, the treated as well as untreated control seeds were soaked in Petridishes on filter paper (three layers).The Distilled Water (DW) is added to the control set every third day till the date of observation.While, in treated sets no water is added to create stress.The observations were recorded after one day till 11 days after treatment continuously.Following Seedling Growth parameters were determined at final day of observation.
Germiniability of % seed germination = (Number of seeds germinated / Total number of seeds) x 100

Standard germination test (SGT) was calculated as Germination Rate Index and Speed of germination
Germination Rate Index and speed of germinations were calculated according to the formula of Magurie (1962) Germination Rate Index (GRI) GRI = No. of normal seedling of days x/DaysX X = No. of days from seed sowing Speed of germination (SG) SG = n/t Where, n = number of seeds emerged in the day t = time or days from sowing

Coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG)
CVG = (sum of n/sum of t) x 100 Where n = number of seeds emerged on the day t = time of days from sowing.
Emergence Index (EI) was calculated by the formula of by Baskin (1969).
Where n = number of seeds emerged in the day 1 st , 2 nd ,3 rd ,-n th day.dn= number of days from the day of sowing.dn x = number of days to the final count.

Relative seed germination =
No. of seeds germination in the Treatment / No of seeds germination in the control

Relative root elongation =
Mean root elongation in the treatment / Mean root elongation in the control x 100

Growth Index
It was calculated by the formula of Tam and Tiqria (1994).

Seedling growth =
Total seedling Growth length {cm} Germination of seeds Viguor Index = Germination % x Total seedling length, It was calculated by the formula of Abdul-Baki and Anderson (1973).

Seeds Germination and Seedling Growth
The First screening experiment was conducted to observe the seed germination and seedling growth of cowpea var.Gomati under lab conditions in Petridishes.The results are expressed in Table 1.The observation showed remarkable effect on Mirculan with out water addition on germination and seedling growth of cowpea.Germinability (G%) increased more with lower concentrations of Miraculan than higher concentrations and the maximum increase was The hypocotyl length also increased with 0.4 and 0.6ml/L i.e. 10.50cm and 11cm i.e. 1.23 & 1.29 fold, respectively, as compared to control (8.50 cm).The maximum increase of hypocotyl length was 35.9% over control.While, the maximum enhancement noted in radicle length with 0.2ml/L i.e. 16.67 over control.The maximum total seedling growth was recorded with 0.2 ml/L i.e. 17.24 % over control.As the concentrations of Miraculan increased from 0.2ml/L to 0.6ml/L, the hypocotyl length was increased, but radicle length gradually reduced as compared to control (Table-A and Plate-3) & 4).The relative root elongation (RRE) increased with 0.2ml/L i.e. 116.67 and beyond this, from 0.4 to 1.6ml/L showed less RRE (Table -A) The seedling growth (SG) was observed maximum with 0.2 ml/L and there after reduced slightly.Again the higher concentrations (1.0 and 1.4 ml/L) showed some stimulatory effect for increasing SG.The maximum Vigour Index (VI) recorded the VI.Emergence index (EI) was also increased with 0.6ml/L i.e. 31.52% over control.Overall, the speed of germination and seedling growth parameters showed better increment with lower concentrations (0.1 to 0.8ml/ L) than higher concentrations (1.0 to 1.6ml/L) of Miracalun.Thus, 0.6ml/L proved to be most beneficial for the enhancement of seed germination parameters, hypocotyl length.While, 0.2ml/L showed maximum increase in radicle length & 0.8ml/ L showed maximum Emergence Index.Thus, for all parameters lower concentrations proved to be beneficial for increasing seed germination and seedling growth under water deficient conditions.

DISCUSSION
Present investigation showed that Miraculan significantly enhanced the seed germination and seedling growth in cowpea.The lower concentrations 0.4 and 0.6ml/L enhance the Germination rate index, relative root elongation.Vigour Index (VI).Germ inability, etc.These parameters are also showed the enhancement in the Speed of Germination, Coefficient Velocity, and Emergence Index, which ultimately affects the total seedling length.These studies are similar to the studies of Ries and Wert (1977), Ries et al.,. (1977).Bittenbender et al., (1978) and Jones et al.,. (1979). in rice seedling.The lower concentrations prove to the beneficial for increasing seedling growth (Henry andKanaby, 1988: Janardhan, 1992

Table 1 : Effect of Miraculan (Triacontanol) on different parameters of Seed germination and Seedling growth in Cowpea (var-Gomati (vu-89) at 11 th Days After Soaking (All the values are an average of three replicates) Parameters Germibability Relative Germination Speed of
: Ni et al., 1995;Rajasekaran and Blake, 1999; Raichur et at., 2001;Chen et al., 2002).One of the authors (Tilottam) is indebted to the Head, Botany Department and Principal of the College, for providing necessary facilities to do the Ph.D.work.
Ansari, S.A., Kumar, P. and Mishra, Y. Triacontanol a natural growth regulator from plant wax.In, N.A.Khan and Samiullah edited