The Effect of Jasmonic Acid (JA) as Seed Treatment and Soil Drench on Morphological Parameters of Moneymaker Tomatoe (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of Jasmonic Acid (JA) application on some morphological parameters of money maker tomatoe. This research was undertaken in Lancaster Environmental centre glasshouse, Lancaster university, United kingdom. Results showed that Tomatoe plants that received 3 mM JA seed treatment showed a reduction in their mean height and are significantly different (p<0.001) to control soil treated plants. Tomatoe plants of JA soil drench treatment also showed a significant reduction in their mean height (p= 0.001) compared to the control soil drenched plants. JA seed primed Moneymaker tomatoe plants showed significant increase in their mean root weight compared to the control at (p=0.026). However, there were no significant differences in mean dry weight between JA soil drenched plants and their controls at (p=0.110). Although, significant increase in mean root weight was found in soil-drenched plants compared to control seed treated plants (p= 0.002). Increase in total mean plant dry weight of Moneymaker tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.) was detected in those of JA seed treatment (Fig. 1, p=0.018) compared to control seed treatment (Tukey’s post hoc test). Similarly, there is significant increase in mean dry weight of JA soil drench plants than the control soil drenched plants (Fig. 1, p=0.001) using Tukey’s post hoc test. Finally it was also observed that no growth cost was associated with priming by exogenous JA application except for stunting of plant height.