GROWTH OF AROMATIC COLEUS (COLEUS AMBOINICUS LOUR.) AS AFFECTED BY BIOSTIMULATORS

摘要

In the Caribbean, aromatic coleus is used as a medicinal and seasoning plant. Anecdotic information indicates aromatic coleus responds to exogenous biostimulators, but little has been researched and published on the subject. Experiments were conductedto determine the effect of the biostimulators acetylthioproline (AP, 250 mg/L), gibberellic acid (GA 50 mg/L), triterpenic acid (TTA, 400 mg/L), a commercial glycine-rich complex of amino acid and peptides (ACP, 1500 mg/L), aminolevulinic acid (ALA, 30mg/L), and two commercial Ascophyllum nodosum extracts with cytokinin-like activity (CST and CTR, 30 mg/L). Aqueous solutions of the biostimulators were sprayed on the leaves aromatic coleus when plants reached 20 cm height and again 21 d later. Crop fresh and dry weights were determined 60 d after the second biostimulator application. Crop fresh and dry weights were positively correlated, increasing approximately 18% with TTA, CST and CTR, 15% with ACP and ALA, and 12% with GA. No yield increase was detected with the AP treatment.