Responses of some Nigerian vegetables of plant growth regulator treatments

The effects of single and combined growth regulator treatments of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA3) and coconut milk on plant height, yield, chlorophyll and vitamin contents of Abelmoschus esculetus L and Solanum gilo L were investigated. The single growth regulator treatments consisted of 50mg/L, 100 mg/L of IAA and GA3 and 10%, 15% of coconut milk. In case of combined growth regulator treatments, the treatments were 100mg/L IAA + 100mg/L GA3, 100mg/L IAA + 15% coconut milk and 100mg/L GA3 + 15% coconut milk. Control vegetable plants were sprayed with water. Single treatments of 100mg/L IAA,100mg/L GA3. 10% and 15% coconut milk resulted in significantly increased plant height, chlorophyll contents and yield of A. esculentus, H. sabdariffa and S. gilo while only combined treatments of 100mg/L IAA + 10% coconut milk and 100mg/L GA3 + 15% coconut milk had such an effect on A. esculentus and S. gilo but not on H. sabdariffa. Moreover, singletreatments of 100mg/L GA3 and 15% coconut milk caused significantly higher vitamins A, B6 and C contents of treated plants whereas the combined treatments produced such an effect on only vitamin C contents of treated plants. Growth regulator treatments of 100mg/L GA3 and 15% coconut milk were consistently the best out of the entire growth regulator treatments tried with the treated plants having the greatest plant height, yield, chlorophyll and vitamin C contents.