Effects of Eichhornia Crassipes Extract on Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Pennisetum Typhoides

Pramod Kumar¹, R. K. Sarbhoy¹, Ravendra Singh Chauhan¹, S. S. khirwar² and R. b. singh³

¹Cytogenetical and Biotechnology Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, Agra College, Agra - 282 002 India.

²Department of Chemistry, Agra College, Agra - 282 002 India.

³Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Agra - 282 002 India.

Corresponding Author E-mail:pramod_sinsinwar@rediffmail.com

ABSTRACT: Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a cosmopolitan noxious aquatic weed.The plant is known to absorb and accumulate heavy metals from sewage and blackish water. It is impossible to remove it completely from environment because water hyacinth is fastest growing weed and seed can germinate after twenty years. In present paper the phytotoxic effect of Eichhornia crassipes extract on germination and early seedling growth of Pennisetum typhoides have been given.Germinating seeds of Pennisetum typhoides is treated with aqueous Eichhornia crassipes extract and observations of early seedling growth for different time durations (24-72hrs) and various concentrations (5%-40%) is observed to monitor the phytotoxicity. The increase in the root and shoot lengths of Pennisetum typhoides at lower conc. (upto 20%) and shoot growth is more reduced at higher concentration are recorded. The phytotoxicity may be related to mitostatic and cytotoxic activity of extract.

KEYWORDS: Eichhornia extract; Pennisetum typhoides; mitostatic; phytotoxic;

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