Effect Of Seaweed Extracts On The Growth And Biochemical Constituents Of Wheat

In the present study, the effect of seaweed liquid fertilizer (SLF) of Ulva fasciata, Nizimuddinia zunardini and Gracilaria corticata without chemical fertilizer on seed germination, growth parameter, pigment and carbohydrate content of Wheat var. (Chamran) was investigated. The seeds soaked with aqueous extract of seaweeds performed better when compared to the water soaked controls. The 10% concentration of aqueous extracts of N. zunardini and G. corticata and 20% concentration of U. fasciata promoted the seedling growth including the parameters of germination percentage (95.1%, 96.4%, 90.3%), shoot length (9.8, 9.15, 10.46 cm), root length (5.78, 6.30, 6.16 cm), fresh weight of shoot (3.09, 2.83, 2.69 g), fresh weight of root (2.14, 1.87, 2.56 g), dry weight of shoot (0.27, 0.25, 0.23 g) and dry weight of root (0.15, 0.14, 0.13 g), chlorophyll a (0.21, 0.19, 0.19 mgg -1 fr. Wt.), b (0.06, 0.04, 0.03 mgg -1 fr. Wt.) , total (0.27, 0.23, 0.22 mgg -1 fr. Wt.), carotenoids (0.09, 0.09, 0.09 mgg -1 fr. Wt.) and carbohydrate (21.57, 22.23, 24.63 mgg -1 fr. Wt.) content in wheat. Among the three seaweed liquid fertilizers N. zunardini exhibited better responses.