M Sc

The seeds of O. basilicum used for the study were sourced from Anand Agricultural
University, Gujarat. The study was carried out in two phases: Phase 1- Seed priming using
fungal derivatives for enhanced germination. Phase 2- Evaluation of the effect of foliar
application of fungal derivatives for growth, yield and essential oil production. In the first
phase of study, the seeds were subjected to various priming treatments using fungal
derivatives viz., Trichoderma viride cell wall extract (1 %) (TCWE), Trichoderma viride culture
filtrate (1 %) (TCF), Piriformospora indica cell wall extract (1 %) (PCWE), Piriformospora indica
culture filtrate (1 %) (PCF) and hydro priming, maintained upto 30 days after sowing. The seeds
without any priming were taken as the absolute control. In the second phase of study, the 30 days
old seedlings of O. basilicum were transplanted to grow bags. The foliar spray of corresponding
fungal derivatives (cell wall extract and culture filtrate) at 1 % concentration were given to plants at
fortnightly intervals from transplanting to 90 days after sowing. The treatment without any foliar
application was taken as the absolute control.
The seeds bioprimed with PCF @ 1 per cent recorded the highest germination per
cent (96%), survival per cent (96%) and had taken minimum number of days (3 days) to
initial sprouting. While TCF @ 1 per cent exhibited the highest germination index (34.50)
and lowest mean germination time (6.29 days). With regard to seedling development, PCF @
1 per cent recorded a significantly higher shoot length (21.50 cm), root length (19.50 cm),
seedling length (41.00 cm) and seedling vigour index (39.37). The highest (1.07) allometric
index was observed in the treatment PCWE @ 1 per cent.
At 110 DAS, the plants subjected to foliar application with PCF @ 1 per cent
exhibited higher plant height (80.20 cm), collar girth (6.03 cm), leaf area (4010.82 cm2
),
number of branches (28.00) and number of flowering shoots (104.00). The same treatment
induced early flowering (55 days) in O. basilicum.
The foliar spray treatment with PCF @ 1 per cent exhibited significantly higher total
chlorophyll content (1.20 mg g-1
) and polyphenol content (84.31 mg PE g-1
) at 110 DAS. The
plants subjected to foliar application with PCF @ 1 per cent recorded maximum leaf biomass
(210.00 g and 19.04 g), stem biomass (135.33 g and 12.21 g), herbage yield (345.33 g and
31.25 g), root biomass (52.00 g and 4.63 g) and total plant biomass (397.33 g and 35.88 g)
respectively, on both fresh weight and dry weight basis. The same treatment recorded the
highest leaf biomass (125.33 g and 12.44 g), stem biomass (76.00 g and 7.31 g), and herbage
yield (201.33 g and 19.75 g), on fresh weight and dry weight basis respectively, in the ratoon
crop harvested 60 days after the first cut.
PCF @ 1 per cent was also observed to give the highest essential oil content (2.11 per
cent and 1.00 per cent) and oil yield (443.10 g and 19.04 g, respectively) in terms of both
fresh and dry leaf weight. This is followed by PCWE @ 1 per cent and TCF @ 1 per cent in
terms of oil content and yield.
In the first phase of study, PCF @ 1 per cent gave better performance in terms of seed
germination, seedling growth and seedling vigour index. The transplanted seedlings from the
same treatment when subjected to foliar application with PCF @ 1 per cent at fortnightly
intervals gave the highest plant growth, biochemical and yield parameters in the second phase
of study. Hence, it can be inferred that biopriming followed by foliar application of the fungal
derivative PCF @ 1 per cent would give superior performance in terms of plant growth, yield
and essential oil production in O. basilicum.