Effect of Seed-Pretreatment with Some Plant Growth Regulators on Germination, Growth and Yield of Cowpea (Vigna sinensis Endl.)

Abstract

Pretreatment of seeds of cowpea (Vigna sinensis Endl.) with indole-3-acetic acid and indole butyric acid had beneficial effects on their germination, dry matter production, flowering and yield. Treatment with Gibberellic acid resulted in increased rate of germination and plant height while the plants raised from seeds treated with distilled water were the same as the untreated plants (control) in terms of the measured parameters. Maleic hydrazide, on the other hand, had inhibitory effects on the rate of germination, dry matter production, flowering and yield. Neither indole-3-acetic acid nor gibberellic acid nullified the inhibitory effects of maleic hydrazide.