The effect of gibberellic acid, ascorbic acid and indole 3-acetic acid on the growth and spore liberation of Enteromorpha prolifera v. tubulosa

Kurze Mitteilungen From Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute Bhavnagar, India

The Effect of Gibberellic Acid, Ascorbic Acid and Indole 3-Acetic Acid on the Growth and Spore Liberation of Enleromorpha proli/era v. lubulosa A. TEWARI With 2 figures Received June 21,1971

Summary Gibberellic acid (GA) and ascorbic acid (A A) stimulated the growth of Enteromorpha proliJera v. tubulosa whereas indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) inhibited the growth. The maximum growth, without spore formation, was observed at 10-8 M GA and 10-3 M AA.

The effect of applied gibberellic acid (GA), ascorbic acid (AA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on marine algae has been studied (LANG, 1965 and EATON et aI., 1966), but their effect on spore formation and liberation is lacking. The purpose of this study is to find out the suitable concentration of the hormones which would promote the vegetative growth of Enteromorpha prolifera v. tubulosa. This will help in large scale cultivation of the alga for feed and food. Small thalli (mean length 1.8 cm) of the alga were collected in 1966 from Veraval coast. They were cleaned to remove the epiphytic organisms. Different concentrations of GA, AA and IAA were prepared in seawater. The alga was kept in the different dilutions of the hormones for 48 hours. Later on, the hormones were replaced with SCHREIBER solution. The growth was measured, as increase in length, at weekly intervals. Spore formation and liberation, if any, was also recorded.

The exogenous application of GA resulted in an increase of 196.6, 165.2, 143.4 and 130.4 per cent over the control at 10-8 , 10-3 , 10-7 and 10-4 M GA respectively (fig. 1). The spore liberation was observed at 10-9 , 10-5 and 10-3 M GA concentrations but the maximum was at 10-5 M. There was no spore formation in the control. The effect of GA concentrations (10- 1°-10-5 M) was similar to the results obtained by JENNINGS (1968). But in the present study there was an increase in the growth with increase in concentrations above 10-5 M GA. The treatments with AA produced 175.0, 116.6, 113.8 and 108.3 per cent increase in the growth at 10-\ 10- 7 , 10- 6 and 10-4 M concentrations respectively. Spore liberation was observed in the control as well as in the plants treated with 10-9 and 10-8 M AA. The maximum spore liberation was observed at 10-8 M AA concentration. The application of AA, in hormonal range, was slightly growth promotive (fig. 2). The inhibition of the growth at 10-8 M was due to excessive spore liberation.

z. PJlanzenphysiol. Bd.

66. S. 359-361. 1972.

360

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Fig. 1. The effect of GA on the growth of £ . prolifera v. tubulosa as a function of time.

The effect of IAA concentrations on the growth of the alga was inhibitory, though the spore formation and liberation was observed at 10-9 , 10-8 , 10-6 and 10-3 M. The maximum spore liberation was at 10-6 M IAA. Spore formation was not observed in the control. Hormonal concentrations of GA and AA caused spore formation and liberation at comparatively lower concentrations (10-9 and 10-8 M) than the IAA (10- 6 M). The spore formation and liberation at higher concentrations of GA and IAA might be due to nutritional effect. The author is grateful to Dr. D. S. DATAR, Director, Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar, for providing the laboratory facilities.

Z. Pflanzenphysiol. Ed. 66. S. 359-361. 1972.

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Literature EATON, J. W., J. G. BROWN and F. E. ROUND: Some observations on polarity and regeneration in Enteromorpha. Br. phycol. Bull. 3, 53 (1966). JENNINGS, R. c.: Gibberellins as endogenous growth regulators in green and brown algae. Planta (Berl.) 80, 34 (1968). LANG, A.: Physiology of growth and development in algae. A synopsis. In Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, Ed. W. RUHLAND. Springer-Verlag, Berlin 15/1, 680 (1965). Present address: A. TEWARI, Scientist, Algology Laboratory, National Botanic Gardens, Lucknow-1, U. P., India

Z. PJlanzenphysiol. Bd. 66. S. 359-361. 1972.