Author(s)

Chellopil Raman Vijay, Mallegowdanakoppalu Channappa Thriveni, Gyarahally Rangappa Shivamurthy

Department of Studies in Botany, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, India.
Maharani’s Science College for Women, Mysore, India.

Seed germination in root holoparasites depends on receipt of certain chemical signals from the host plant. It is possible to induce germination in such seeds without the association of hosts by using growth regulators under in vivo and in vitro conditions. IAA, GA₃ and Kinetin have been used to induce seed germination in Aeginetia indica L. to analyse the possible ways of exploiting knowledge of germination for the management of this weed. Seeds pre treated with 50 mg·L^–1 of GA₃ showed the production of aseptate, uninucleate root hair-like tubules, which probably help in the anchorage with host root. Under in vitro, GA₃ (5.0 and 7.5 mg·L^–1) has been found to induce and enhance percentage of seed germination. Therefore, it is concluded that GA₃ could be used to bring suicidal germination of seeds thereby manage this parasitic weed effectively. Further production of uninucleate tubules and organisation of conventional bi-polar seedling under the influence of GA₃ is being reported for the first time in this taxon.

Aeginetia indica; Seed Germination; Suicidal Germination; Growth Regulators; Embryonal Tubules

C. Vijay, M. Thriveni and G. Shivamurthy, "Effect of Growth Regulators on Seed Germination and Its Significance in the Management of Aeginetia indica L. —A Root Holoparasite," American Journal of Plant Sciences, Vol. 3 No. 10, 2012, pp. 1490-1494. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2012.310179.