In vitro and in vivo bio-stimulatory properties of a Lupinus albus L. seed suspension
Elmarie van der Watt A and Johan C. Pretorius A BA Department of Soil-, Crop-, and Climate Science, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
B Corresponding author. Email: pretorjc@ufs.ac.za
Crop and Pasture Science 62(3) 189-197 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP10391
Submitted: 10 December 2010 Accepted: 5 February 2011 Published: 17 March 2011
Abstract
During an extended screening program of plant extracts for bio-stimulatory activity, a seed suspension (SS) of Lupinus albus L. cv. Betsuhana White was identified as most promising. By testing a concentration range of SS using three in vitro bio-assays [i.e. respiration rate of monoculture yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells, germination rate of seeds from selected crops, and subsequent seedling growth], 5 mg/L was identified as the optimal concentration in terms of in vitro bio-stimulatory activity. A commercially available bio-stimulant, ComCat®, was used as a positive control, while a glucose solution for respiration tests and distilled water for germination tests served as negative controls. Compared with the controls, significant (P < 0.05) increases in the respiration rate of monoculture yeast cells and seedling root growth in the majority of test crops after treatment with SS confirmed its in vitro bio-stimulatory potential. Seedling root growth compared favourably with results obtained with the commercial bio-stimulant. Subsequently, the in vivo yield response of selected crops to foliar treatment with SS was investigated under field conditions using ComCat® as a positive control. All trials were laid out in a complete randomised block design. Foliar applications of SS at 5 mg/L under a drip irrigation system contributed to significant (P < 0.05) yield increases in lettuce (by 20.0 t/ha) and carrots (by 22.2 t/ha), which compared favourably with the positive control, but not in beetroot and cabbage. Beetroot yield was enhanced whereas cabbage yield was decreased markedly, but not significantly, by the SS treatment, compared with the negative control. The results confirmed both the in vitro and in vivo bio-stimulatory potential of a seed suspension of L. albus cv. Betsuhana White in terms of its ability to manipulate early seedling growth and enhance the yield of selected vegetable crops.
Additional keywords: bio-stimulatory properties, Lupinus albus cv. Betsuhana White, seed suspension, respiration rate, yeast cells, seed germination, seedling growth, final yield.
References
Adam G, Marquardt V (1986) Brassinosteroids. Phytochemistry 25, 1787–1799.| Brassinosteroids.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL28XlsV2ltbk%3D&md5=c63330584fb252318318a464a8af663eCAS |
Agraforum, Germany (2002) Technical data sheet. Available at: www.agraforum.com
Amthor JS (1989) ‘Respiration and crop productivity.’ (Springer-Verlag: New York)
ARC (2004) ARC Small Grain Institute South Africa. Technical data sheet. Available at: www.arc.agric.za/home.asp?pid=376
Balestri E, Bertini S (2003) Growth and development of Posidonia oceanica seedlings treated with plant growth regulators: possible implications for meadow restoration. Aquatic Botany 76, 291–297.
| Growth and development of Posidonia oceanica seedlings treated with plant growth regulators: possible implications for meadow restoration.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXls1CitLs%3D&md5=3e3cc25f85b863f5052b51ae794e804dCAS |
Basile A, Sorbo S, Giodano S, Ricciardi L, Ferrara S, Montesano D, Castaldo R, Cobianchi ML, Errara L (2000) Antibacterial and allelopathic activity of extracts from Castanea sativa leaves. Fitoterapia 71, S110–S116.
| Antibacterial and allelopathic activity of extracts from Castanea sativa leaves.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXltlWmsro%3D&md5=3cf73e6cbde2c8f1b9a4f32c2195209bCAS | 10930721PubMed |
Belz RG, Cedergreen N, Sørensen H (2008) Hormesis in mixtures—Can it be predicted? The Science of the Total Environment 404, 77–87.
| Hormesis in mixtures—Can it be predicted?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhtVyltrvI&md5=8976c358f43dcd3b39d4b5d0a89ef033CAS | 18640701PubMed |
Channal HT, Kurdikeri MB, Hunshal CS, Sarangamath PA, Patil SA (2002a) Allelopathic influence of tree leaf extracts on greengram and pigeonpea. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences 15, 375–378.
Channal HT, Kurdikeri MB, Hunshal CS, Sarangamath PA, Patil SA, Shekhargouda M (2002b) Allelopathic effect of some tree species on sunflower and soybean. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences 15, 279–283.
Cowan MM (1999) Plant products as antimicrobial agents. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 12, 564–582.
Ferreira MI, Lourens AF (2002) The efficacy of liquid seaweed extract on the yield of canola plants. South African Journal of Plant Soil 19, 159–161.
Fuji Y (2001) Screeing and future exploitation of allelopathic plants as alternative herbicides with special reference to hairy vetch. In ‘Allelopathy in agroecosystems’. (Eds RK Kohli, HP Singh, DR Batish) pp. 257–275. (The Haworth Press, Inc.: New York)
Golz T, Aakri D (1993) Lupin. Available at: http://library.ndsu.edu/repository/handle/10365/8038 (accessed February 2011).
Hintze JL (1998) ‘NCSS 2000 statistical system for Windows.’ (NCSS: Kaysville, UT)
Hygrotech, South Africa (2004) Vegetable production guide – a technical data sheet. Available at: www.hygrotech.co.za
Jensen CR, Joernsgaard B, Andersen MN, Christiansen JL, Mogensen VO, Friis P, Petersen CT (2004) The effect of lupins as compared with peas and oats on the yield of the subsequent winter barley crop. European Journal of Agronomy 20, 405–418.
| The effect of lupins as compared with peas and oats on the yield of the subsequent winter barley crop.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kamuro Y, Takatsuto S (1999) Practical applications of brassinosteroids in agricultural fields. In ‘Brassinosteroids—steroidal plant hormones’. (Eds A Sakurai, T Yokota, SD Clouse) pp. 223–241. (Springer: Tokyo)
Kazakova VN, Karsunkina NP, Sukhova LS (1991) Effect of brassinolide and fusicoccin on potato productivity and tuber resistance to fungal diseases under storage. Izvestiia Timiryazevskoi Sel’skokhoziaistvennoi Akademii 94, 85021
Khripach V, Zhabinskii V, De Groot A (2000) Twenty years of brassinosteroids: Steroidal plant hormone warrant better crops for the XXI century. Annals of Botany 86, 441–447.
| Twenty years of brassinosteroids: Steroidal plant hormone warrant better crops for the XXI century.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXmtVOqs74%3D&md5=ed7434776aae10eff2d6d38288d04123CAS |
Lim UK (1987) Effect of brassinolide treatment on shoot growth, photosynthesis, respiration and photorespiration of rice seedlings. Agricultural Research of Seoul National University 12, 9–14.
Lim UK, Han SS (1988) The effect of plant growth regulating brassinosteroid on early state and yield of corn. Agricultural Research of Seoul National University 13, 1–14.
Macías FA, Lacret R, Varela RM, Nogueiras C, Molinillo JMG (2008) Bioactive apocarotenoids from Tectona grandis. Phytochemistry 69, 2708–2715.
Mason RL, Gunst RF, Hess JL (1989) ‘Statistical design and analysis of experiments with application to engineering and science.’ (John Wiley and Sons, Inc.: Mississauga, Canada)
Meier U (1997) ‘Growth stages of mono- and dicotyledonous plants.’ (Blackwell Wissenschafts Verlag: Berlin)
Meudt WJ, Thompson MJ, Bennett HW (1983) Investigations on the mechanism of brassinosteroid response III: Techniques for potential enhancement of crop production. In ‘Proceedings of the 10th Annual Meeting of the Plant Growth Regulators Society of America’. pp. 312–318. (I.K. International Publishing House: India)
Müssig C, Fischer S, Altmann T (2002) Brassinosteroid-regulated gene expression. Plant Physiology 129, 1241–1251.
| Brassinosteroid-regulated gene expression.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12114578PubMed |
Neelam K, Bisaria AK, Khare N (2002) The allelopathic effect on Triticum aestivum of different extracts of Leucaena leucocephala. Indian Journal of Agroforestry 4, 63–65.
Pollard NJ, Stoddard FL, Popineau Y, Wrigley CW, MacRitchie F (2002) Lupin flours as additives: Dough mixing, breadmaking, emulsifying, and foaming. Cereal Chemistry 79, 662–669.
| Lupin flours as additives: Dough mixing, breadmaking, emulsifying, and foaming.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XntlCku7Y%3D&md5=f957b08d3da8ff61139154352f5f378aCAS |
Prakash M, Kannan K, Kumar JS, Veeramani BB, Gansehan J (2001) Effect of brassinosteroids on germination and seedling behaviour of tomato. Annals of Plant Physiology 13, 178–180.
Pretorius JC, van der Watt E (2011) Natural products from plants: Commercial prospects in terms of antimicrobial, herbicidal and bio-stimulatory activities in an integrated pest management system. In ‘Natural products in plant pest management’. (Ed. NK Dubey) pp. 42–90. (CAB International: London)
Roth U, Friebe A, Schnabl H (2000) Resistance induction in plants by a brassinosteroid-containing extract of Lychnis viscaria L. Zeitschrift fùr Naturforschung 54, 1–25.
Schnabl H, Roth U, Friebe A (2001) Brassinosteroid-induced stress tolerances of plants. Phytochemistry 5, 169–183.
Steele RG, Torrie JH (1980) ‘Principles and procedures of statistics.’ 2nd edn (McGraw-Hill: New York)
Takematsu T, Takeuchi Y (1989) Effects of brassinosteriods on growth and yields of crops. Proceedings of the Japan Academy 65, 149–152.
| Effects of brassinosteriods on growth and yields of crops.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL1MXmt1Oitr8%3D&md5=ff27f373b7f3e1b2c265215946664b02CAS |
Takeuchi Y, Omigawa Y, Ogasawara Y (1996) Effects of brassinosteroids on conditioning and germination of clover broomrape (Orobanche mirror) seeds. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 16, 153–160.
Takunov IP, Yagovenko LL (1999) Yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) as a green manure crop preceding winter rye (Secale cereale L.). In ‘Lupin: An ancient crop for the new millennium. Proceedings of the 9th International Lupin Conference’. (Eds E Van Santen, M Wink, S Weisssmann, P Romer) pp. 199–200. (Klink/Muritz: Germany)
Tefera T (2002) Allelopathic effects of Parthenium hysterophorus extracts on seed germination and seedling growth of Eragrostis tef. Journal of Agronomy & Crop Science 188, 306–310.
| Allelopathic effects of Parthenium hysterophorus extracts on seed germination and seedling growth of Eragrostis tef.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thain M, Hichman P (2000) ‘The Penguin dictionary of biology.’ 10th edn (Penguin: London)
Turk MA, Tawaha AM (2003) Allelopathic effect of black mustard (Brassica nigra L.) on germination and growth of wild oat (Avena fatua L.). Crop Protection 22, 673–677.
| Allelopathic effect of black mustard (Brassica nigra L.) on germination and growth of wild oat (Avena fatua L.).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Waller GR (1999) Recent advances in saponins used in foods, agriculture, and medicine. In ‘Biologically active natural products: agrochemicals’. (Eds G Cutler, SJ Cutler) pp. 243–274. (CRC Press: Washington, DC)
Workneh TS, Osthoff G, Steyn MS (2009) Integrated agrotechnology with preharvest ComCat ® treatment, modified atmosphere packaging and forced ventilation evaporative cooling of tomatoes. African Journal of Biotechnology 8, 860–872.
Wu H, Pratley J, Lemerle D, Haig T, An M (2001) Screening methods for the evaluation of crop allelopathic potential. Botanical Review 67, 403–415.
| Screening methods for the evaluation of crop allelopathic potential.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zullo MAT, Adam G (2002) Brassinosteroid phytohormones – structure, bioactivity and applications. Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology 14, 143–181.
| Brassinosteroid phytohormones – structure, bioactivity and applications.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXit1Srs7Y%3D&md5=b8ff24d3a18ba1b2f31843d282ca0a34CAS |
