.

ISSN 2063-5346
For urgent queries please contact : +918130348310

Differential Expressivity Influence of 2,4-D Auxin on Growth, Yield and Sex Expression in Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia Occidentalis F. Hook)

Main Article Content

Maria B. Onabe, Udonwa, Rose. E, Eke, Vitalis U, Isamon Christian O. Godwin M. Ubi
» doi: 10.48047/ecb/2023.12.si6.186

Abstract

Experiments was conducted in 2023 academic session to evaluate the role and influence of 2-4-D, a plant growth hormone on sex expression, growth and yield of three ecotypes of Telfaria occidentalis obtained from calabar, Ikom and Ogoja. Two concentrations of 2-4-D at 0 (control), 50 and 100 ml/kg soil were used for the study. The seeds from the different ecotypes obtained from three different locations in each of the aforementioned states and established in Calabar. The seeds were planted out in plastic bags containing 1 kg of soil each. The experiment was a two factor experiment laid out in a completely randomized design and replicated thrice. Factor 1 was the three localities with three levels of Calabar, Ikom and Ogoja while factor 2 was the two concentrations of 2-4-D 50 and 100ml/kg soil including the control of 0ml/kg soil. This gave a treatment combination of 9 and a total experimental unit of 27. Data for morphological attributes were taken at two weeks interval while sex expression and other yield attributes were obtained at maturity. Generated data from the study were subjected to statistical analysis using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedures. Combined treatment means with significant differences were further separated using the Fischer’s least significant difference (LSD) test at 5 % probability level. The results shows that females flowers were more expressed in number upto 193 than male flowers numbering only 37 with treated with 100 ml/kg soil 2-4-D. The results of morphological attributes shows that vine length varied from 99.60 to 168 cm, number of leaves per plant ranged from 8.00 to 16.33, leaf area varied from 20.90cm2 to 92.92 cm2, internode length per plant ranged from 6.00 to 9.70 while leaf length per plant ranged between 5.27 to12.45 while Leaf width varied between 3.49 to7.41 cm. Significant (p<0.05) differences were also detected to exist among three of the evaluated yield attributes. Number of seeds per pod ranged between 59.70 to 95.30 among the ecoitypes. Days to pod maturity varied from 113 to 121 days among the ecotypes while fresh pod weight ranges from 213.70 g to 456.70 with an average of 335.20 g. Hence, plant growth regulators such as 2-4-D can be effectively used to increase the expression of sex related traits in Telfaria occidentalis.

Article Details