Effect of Different Levels of Irrigation and Pusa Hydrogel on Biochemical Parameters of Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) cv. Culcutta orange

Abstract

The experiment entitled “Effect of different levels of irrigation and Pusa hydrogel on biochemical parameters of Marigold (Tagetes erecta l.) cv. Culcutta orange” was carried out at College of Horticulture Bagalkot, University of Horticultural Sciences Bagalkot. Biochemical parameters such as Chlorophyll content in leaves and Proline determination was performed with different levels of irrigation and Pusa hydrogel in Marigold (Tagetes erecta l.) cv. Culcutta orange”. Chlorophyll ‘a’, chlorophyll ‘b’ and total chlorophyll contents of leaf tissue were determined by non-destructive method of chlorophyll estimation using dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). The maximum chlorophyll content (1.57 mg/g) was observed in plants, irrigated with 80 per cent CPE. Significantly highest chlorophyll content (1.71 mg/g) was recorded in plants applied with 5.25 kg/ha of hydrogel. Among the interactions, the treatment combination having plants irrigated with 80 per cent CPE along with 5.25 kg/ha hydrogel registered maximum chlorophyll content (1.91 mg/g). Proline extraction and determination was performed according to Bates et al. (1973). 100 mg of plant tissue was homogenized in 1.2 ml 3% aqueous sulfosalicylic acid and centrifuged at 13,000 rpm for 10 min. Maximum proline content (11.69 μg/ g fresh leaves) was observed in plant irrigated with 60 per cent CPE. Highest proline content (12.19 μg/g fresh leaves) was recorded in plants applied without any hydrogel. Among the interactions, the treatment combination of plants irrigated with 60 per cent CPE along with no hydrogel registered maximum (13.28 μg/ g fresh leaves) proline content Table 1 and Fig. 1. There was significant reduction trend in total chlorophyll content by reducing the schedule irrigation from 80 to 60 per cent CPE. The reduction of chlorophyll due to drought stress is related to the increase of production of free radicals in the cells. These free radicals cause peroxidation and disintegration and by reduction of chlorophyll, considerable changes are produced in the plant. The higher soil moisture conservation by application of hydrogel and irrigation would mean that marigold plants suffer less degree of water stress condition, whereas the marigold plants treated without hydrogel, suffer higher level of water stress.