Influence of potassium naphthenate on growth, yield and biochemical characteristics of Datura fastuosa Linn. (Solanaceae)

Abstract

Field-grown seedlings of D. fastuosa were sprayed twice with 500 or 1000 p.p.m. potassium naphthenate or with distilled water (control), 68 and 78 days after planting. Data are tabulated on plant height, number of leaves/plant, petiole length, leaf area, number of branches/plant, number of flowering buds/plant, number of fruits/plant, number of seeds/fruit and DW of seeds/fruit. The 1000 p.p.m. treatment significantly increased leaf number, petiole length and leaf area and, in particular, the branch number and seed DW over controls. However, 500 p.p.m. considerably increased all the physical parameters. It did not induce any significant change in the alkaloid content of roots or fruiting capsules, whereas 1000 p.p.m. increased the total alkaloid content of the roots by 30.77% and that of the fruiting capsules by 15.38% and the seed oil content by 41.39%. Both treatments reduced the alkaloid content of the seeds by 13.04%.