EFFECT OF SALICYLIC ACID ON THE METABOLITE CONTENTS OF BT AND NON BT COTTON GROWN IN SEMI-ARID SOILS OF NIZAMABAD
Y. Venkateshwarlu and B. Vidya Vardhini*
ABSTRACT
The effect of salicylic acid (SA) sprayed in three concentrations viz., 0.5 mM, 1.0mM and 3.0mM on the metabolite contents (carbohydrates (i.e. reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, total sugars and starch), nucleic acids (RNA, DNA) and proteins of two varieties of cotton (Gossypium herbaceum L.) viz., Bt- cotton and non-Bt plants grown in the semi-arid tropics of Nizamabad was studied. The soil in Nizamabad district is saline land black soil wherein the plants usually experience drought and saline stresses. At all the three concentrations of SA positively increased the concentration of all the metabolite contents of carbohydrates (i.e. reducing sugars, total sugars, starch), nucleic acids (RNA, DNA) and proteins of two varieties of cotton compared to untreated control plants. The Bt-cotton variety showed better performance over non-Bt varieties. SA at 3.0 mM conc was found most effective in increasing the metabolites of both cotton varieties over 1.0mM, 0.5 mM and untreated controls. The promotion of metabolite contents of both cotton varieties is an indicator that SA mitigated the negative effect of the semi-arid soil conditions of Nizamabad district.
Keywords: Bt-cotton; carbohydrates; salicylic acid (SA); non-Bt cotton; nucleic acids; proteins.
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