Affiliation(s)
1. Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Science, Széchenyi István University, Mosonmagyaróvár, Győr-Moson-Sopron 9200, Hungary
2. Department of Plant Production and Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Kaposvár University, Kaposvár 7400, Hungary
3. Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, P/Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
ABSTRACT
Bioassay
results proved that several microalgae strains of the Mosonmagyaróvár Algal
Culture Collection (MACC) enhanced plant growth, due to their hormone content
and other secondary metabolites. The aim of the current research was to improve
autumn growth and winter survival of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) by
treatment with two microalgae strains selected by bioassay results. Experimental plots
were set up in Mosonmagyaróvár in 2010 and 2013. Winter rapeseed hybrid (B. napus L. cv. Orlando)
plants were treated in 4-6 leaves stage with 0.3 g/L and 1 g/L suspensions of MACC-612 Nostoc entophytum Bornet & Flahault and MACC-430 Tetracystis sp. in middle of October. After the treatments, the
following parameters were recorded: chlorophyll-a and b, carotenoid, dry matter
content of leaves, average amount of autumn foliage, diameter of root collar,
length of shoot tips, fresh and dry weight of root, and number of plants in
autumn and spring. Both
microalgae treatments significantly increased pigment concentration and dry
matter content of leaves, number of fully grown leaves (13%-46%) and dry root
weight (16%-36%). Treatments
with 0.3 g/L and 1 g/L MACC-612 suspensions increased the length of shoot
apices by 14%-18% and 25%-35%, respectively.
Number of overwintered control plants decreased significantly in both years
(31%), but there was no decrease in parcels treated with 1 g/L of MACC-612 and
MACC-430. Microalgae treatments
could increase plant growth and survival, which contributed to the significant
increase of thousand seed weight (18%-25%) and total yield (by 10%-24%).
KEYWORDS
Microalgae,
photosynthetic pigments, winter oilseed rape, winter survival.
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