Foliar application of chitosan in Agave salmiana seedlings and their response in some morphophysiological parameters

Abstract

Agave salmiana L., is a plant with high agroecological, agro-industrial and gastronomic value, however, its traditional propagation by suckers reduces the genetic variability of this species. The objective of this research was to evaluate the accumulation of dry matter, total chlorophyll and some nitrogenous compounds as response to the foliar application of chitosan in A. salmiana seedlings. The study was conducted at the Instituto Tecnológico Superior of Huichapan, Hidalgo, Mexico. The experimental design was completely random with 10 replications. Five foliar doses of chitosan (mg L-1) were evaluated (0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0), where T0 corresponds to the control (distilled water). The parameters evaluated were plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, root length and volume, dry matter, total chlorophyll, and total nitrogen and nitrates. Foliar application of 0.75 and 1.0 g L-1 increased plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, length and root volume. However, the dose of 0.5 g L-1 also showed signif icant ef fect on plant height and stem diameter. On the other hand, treatments with 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 mg L-1 showed the highest values of total chlorophyll and total nitrogen and nitrates, where dry matter accumulation was only signif icant with the dose of 1.0 mg L-1. The foliar application of chitosan is an alternative that could help improve some of the morphophysiological characteristics in seedlings of A. salmiana, a species endemic to Mexico.