The effects of potassium and gibberellin alone or in combination on the pigments and growth parameters of lentil (Lens culinaris L.)

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the effects of potassium (5, 10, 15, and 20mM KCl) and gibberellin (0.05 and 0.1mM), either alone or in combination, on the amount of carotenoids and chlorophyll a & b and also on the plant growth parameters including NAR and RGR on 37–day plants of lentil. It showed that the amount of above mentioned pigments was affected by various levels of either potassium or gibberellin alone. In addition, all of the plant growth parameters increased significantly by each of the evaluated levels of potassium and GA3. However, the combination of K and GA3 did not have any additive effect either on the pigment content or on the plant growth parameters. We concluded that the addition of potassium and gibberellin to a growing lentil might increase the amount of carotenoid and chlorophyll and enhanced the plant growth.

Keywords

• gibberellin
• growth parameters
• lentil
• pigment
• potassium