Volume 59, Issue 329, May 2023

Effect of thiourea on germination and seedling parameters of millet germplasms under drought stress

Zohaa Fatima^1♦, Zain-Ul-Sajjad²

¹Department of Agronomy, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
³Crop Science Institute (CSI), National agriculture research center, Islamabad, Pakistan

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Agronomy, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Pearl millet plays an important role in livestock feeding. In our country, fodder or livestock feed production is less as compared to other countries. For getting quality yield, nitrogen element is necessary for fodder crops. This study aimed to judge the impact of various concentrations of Thiourea on the growth parameters of two distinct lines of pearl millet (Millet IABGR (7) 8810 and Millet IABGR (5) 8807) under drought stress. Thiourea is recognized as a significant bio-regulator, for stimulating the growth and development parameter of crop plants. Its exogenous application has been reported to enhance plant growth and productivity under both normal and adverse environmental conditions. A factorial experiment was conducted with three replications at Fodder and forage research laboratory, NARC, Islamabad to investigate the effect of three different concentrations of Thiourea (100 ppm, 300 ppm and 500 ppm) on various growth parameters of pearl millet. The study measured germination percentage, root and shoot length and root and shoot moisture content. Results showed that Line Millet IABGR (7) 8810 had the highest growth and performed the best in all measured parameters. The results showed that Line Millet IABGR (7) 8810 exhibited the best growth and maximum germination percentage (96.67%), while the lowest germination percentage was observed in Millet IABGR (5) 8807 (75%). Millet IABGR (7) 8810 was found to be the better hybrid for fodder production and can be recommended for future use in Millet breeding programs.

Keywords: Fodder and Forage, Germination parameter, Millet, Seedling, Thiourea

Discovery, 2023, 59, e55d1229

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Published: May 2023