EFFECT OF FOLIAR-APPLIED GIBBERELLIC ACID (GA₃) ON PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS AND YIELD OF TWO SORGHUM (SORGHUM BICOLOR (L.) MOENCH) CULTIVARS

Afrah Abdul Karim Hussein

Авторы

Afrah Abdul Karim Hussein Department of Field Crops, College of Agriculture, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq

Ключевые слова:

Sorghum, gibberellic acid, GA₃, plant growth regulators, physiological traits

Аннотация

A field experiment was conducted at the Research Station of the Department of Field Crops, College of Agriculture, Tikrit University, during the 2025 growing season to investigate the effect of foliar application of gibberellic acid (GA₃) on some physiological traits and yield of two sorghum cultivars (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications and included two factors. The first factor was two sorghum cultivars (Abu Sabaa and Ridan) and the second factor was four concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA3) (0, 20, 40 and 60 mg L-1). The traits studied were shoot dry matter weight at 45 and 75 days after emergence, absolute growth rate, leaf chlorophyll concentration, total grain and biological yields. The results showed that the Ridan cultivar significantly outperformed Abu Sabaa in shoot dry matter weight at 45 and 75 days after emergence, absolute growth rate, chlorophyll concentration, and biological yield, whereas no significant differences were observed between the two cultivars in total grain yield. Foliar application of gibberellic acid also resulted in a significant and progressive increase in most of the studied traits with increasing concentration. The highest means were obtained at 60 mg L^-1 with 50.88 and 97.27 g plant^-1 for shoot dry matter weight at 45 and 75 days, respectively, 1.547 g plant-1 day^-1 for absolute growth rate, 52.69 SPAD for chlorophyll concentration, 5619 kg ha^-1 for total grain yield and 16080 kg ha-1 for biological yield. The interaction treatments also showed clear differential responses of the two cultivars to the various GA₃ concentrations, with the Ridan × 60 mg L⁻¹ treatment recording the highest values for most of the studied traits.

Библиографические ссылки

Zahid, M. K., Ahmad, D., Amin, R., & Bao, J. (2025). Sorghum starch: Composition, structure, functionality, and strategies for its improvement. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety, 24(1), e70101.‏

Welderufael, S., Abay, F., Ayana, A., & Amede, T. (2024). Genetic diversity, correlation and genotype× yield× trait (GYT) analysis of grain yield and nutritional quality traits in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) genotypes in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Discover Agriculture, 2(1), 4.‏

Zheng, H., Dang, Y., Diao, X., & Sui, N. (2024). Molecular mechanisms of stress resistance in sorghum: Implications for crop improvement strategies. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 23(3), 741-768.‏

Ritonga, F. N., Zhou, D., Zhang, Y., Song, R., Li, C., Li, J., & Gao, J. (2023). The roles of gibberellins in regulating leaf development. Plants, 12(6), 1243.‏

Rashad, M. Q. (2018). Response of Sorghum (Zea mays L.) to potassium fertilizer type at different nitrogen levels in gypsum soil [Master’s thesis, University of Tikrit, College of Agriculture].

Hunt, R. (1978). Plant growth analysis (Studies in Biology No. 96). Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd., London.

Al-Rawi, K. M., & Khalaf-Allah, A. M. (1980). Design and analysis of agricultural experiments (in Arabic). Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, University of Baghdad.

Panelo, J. S., Miguez, F. E., Schnable, P. S., & Salas‐Fernandez, M. G. (2025). Crop growth model‐enabled genetic mapping of biomass accumulation dynamics in photoperiod‐sensitive sorghum. The Plant Genome, 18(3), e70111.‏

Ali, A. Y. A., Ibrahim, M. E. H., Zhou, G., Nimir, N. E. A., Elsiddig, A. M. I., Jiao, X., ... & Elradi, S. B. M. (2021). Gibberellic acid and nitrogen efficiently protect early seedlings growth stage from salt stress damage in Sorghum. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 6672.‏

Fadhil, A. H. (2025). Responses of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Varieties to gibberellic acid (GA3). Basrah Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 38(Special Issue)), 377-386.‏

Ali, A. Y. A., Ibrahim, M. E. H., Zhou, G., Nimir, N. E. A., Elsiddig, A. M. I., Jiao, X., ... & Elradi, S. B. M. (2021). Gibberellic acid and nitrogen efficiently protect early seedlings growth stage from salt stress damage in Sorghum. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 6672.‏

Liu, J., Wu, Y., Dong, G., Zhu, G., & Zhou, G. (2023). Progress of research on the physiology and molecular regulation of sorghum growth under salt stress by gibberellin. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(7), 6777.‏

Hernández Rodríguez, A., Díaz Pacheco, A., Martínez Tolibia, S. E., Melendez Xicohtencatl, Y., Granados Balbuena, S. Y., & Lopez y Lopez, V. E. (2024). Bioprocess of gibberellic acid by Fusarium fujikuroi: The challenge of regulation, raw materials, and product yields. Journal of Fungi, 10(6), 418.‏

Narayanan, S., Aiken, R. M., Vara Prasad, P. V., Xin, Z., & Yu, J. (2013). Water and radiation use efficiencies in sorghum. Agronomy Journal, 105(3), 649-656.‏

Ali, A. Y. A., Ibrahim, M. E. H., Zhou, G., Nimir, N. E. A., Elsiddig, A. M. I., Jiao, X., ... & Elradi, S. B. M. (2021). Gibberellic acid and nitrogen efficiently protect early seedlings growth stage from salt stress damage in Sorghum. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 6672.‏