STUDIES ON SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH IN KALMEGH (ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA WALL. EX NEES) UNDER ABIOTIC STRESS CONDITIONS

Abstract

Abstract: The changing environmental conditions and increasingly heavy metal concentration in soil has been a major concern for growth of medicinal plants widely used in pharmaceutical and ayurvedic formulations. The need is to develop effective means to regenerate and grow medicinal plants under changing environmental conditions. The realization of this strategy requires an understanding of agronomic requirements of the medicinal plant species including the responses to variations in growth conditions on account of abiotic stresses. Present study is an attempt to determine the influence of abiotic stress viz., water-deficit (PEG), salinity (NaCl) and heavy metal (Cd), germination, seedling growth and seed vigour index (SVI) of Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Wall. ex Nees), an important indigenous medicinal plant of Acanthaceae family. Seed germination was enhanced by all the three factors tested i.e. PEG, NaCl and Cd; the degree of enhancement was found to be maximum in case of PEG. Seedling growth and SVI was suppressed by PEG, NaCl and Cd. Cadmium stress was most inhibitory.