Pyroligneous Acid Effects on Seed Germination, Plant Growth, Female/Male Sex Ratio, and Yield of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)
Date
2021-09-07T18:40:09Z
Authors
MacNeil, Matt
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Abstract
Pyroligneous acid has shown great promise as a biostimulant for many agronomic crops by
stimulating seed germination, plant growth, and yield. However, most of the studies did not
determine effect of different modes of application on plant growth and yield performance. This
study focused on applying PA at differing rates (0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10%), durations (0, 3, 6, 9,
12 hours), and frequencies (never repeated, biweekly, and monthly) to evaluate its impact on
germination, early seedling root growth, plant growth, sex ratio, and yield of cucumber (Cucumis
sativus L.). Rate and soaking time significantly (P < 0.05) improved germination and root
growth. Seeds soaked in lower concentrations (i.e. 2.5% and 5%) for longer soaking periods (i.e.
9 and 12 hours) showed the greatest germination and early root growth response compared to
control treated seeds and seeds soaked in 10% PA. Monthly applications of 2.5% and 5% PA led
to significantly (P < 0.05) highest female/male flower ratios compared to control treatments
which led to significantly (P < 0.05) improved fruit setting and the highest calculated yield
values. Improving growth and yield parameters in cucumber helps support the case that
pyroligneous acid can serve as a useful product in the field of agriculture from both an economic
and global population perspective.
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Keywords
Cucumber, Pyroligneous Acid, Sexual Development, Germination