Effect of some soil herbicides of the vegetative habits and pigment content of Prunus domestica Wangenheims plum rootstock under in vitro conditions

P. Gercheva, L. Nacheva, Z. Rankova

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of application of the soil herbicides pendimethalin and napropamide on the vegetative habits and the pigment content in the leaves of Prunus domestica ‘Wangenheims’ plants under model in vitro conditions. The soil herbicides were applied when the roots were 2-3 mm in length. The herbicide solution was applied under sterile conditions as a film on the nutrient medium surface. Five variants in 3 replicates were set: Control (untreated) – destillated water; P400 - Pendimethalin – Stomp 33 ЕC - 4.0 l ha-1; P600 - Pendimethalin - Stomp 33 ЕC - 6.0 l ha-1; N400 - Napropamid - Devrinol 4F - 4.0 l ha-1; N600 - Napropamid - Devrinol 4F - 6.0 l ha-1. Visual observations on plant development and the appearance of external symptoms of phytotoxicity (chlorosis, necrosis, plant withering) were carried out in dynamics on the 7th, 14th and 21st day after treatment. Data about the stem height, mean length of the roots, relative growth rate (RGR), as well as the content and ratio of the photosynthetic pigments were reported on the 21st day. Thesymptoms of phytotoxicity (necrosis in the root-formation area) appeared on the 14th day after treatment with napropamide. On the 21st day after treatment with pendimethalin, chlorosis in the leaves of the in vitro plants and obvious growth suppression were established. The active substance napropamide exerted a poorer inhibiting effect on the plant growth in height compared to pendimethalin. Napropamide at concentration 6.0 l.ha-1 had the strongest depressing effect on root growth of the in vitro plants of the studied plum rootstock.

Keywords: in vitro; phytotoxicity; rootstock; soil herbicides

Date published: 2019-07-23