Gibbersib effects on amaranth seeds germination and plant productivity

Amaranth ( Amaranthus caudatus L.), a widely used around the world as a valuable food culture, does not have enough spread in Russia for several reasons. One of them is the physiological characteristics, such as low seeds germination and the presence of latent growth phase in 2-week-old seedlings, when only the root system develops. These features are responsible for cultural sensitivity to external conditions and frequent deaths in crops. Gibbersib referring to a group of natural, environmentally friendly compounds (its active substance is a mixture of several gibberellins produced by the fungus Gibberella moniliformis Wineland) is used on many cultures. The task to investigate its effect on the yield of vegetable amaranth was first stated by us. Also it is of interest to determine whether this compound can eliminate the imbalance in the early development of amaranth plants and accelerate their growth in the later stages. We found an increase in seed germination of vegetable amaranth after soaking in 10 -5 % Gibbersib aqueous solution and the acceleration of seedling development in the first 2 weeks. Yield of plants derived from the treated seeds greatly raised in comparison with the control at later stages of development. The activity of nitrogen assimilation and total protein content increased, as well as activity of the photosynthetic apparatus in leaves of these plants. The high temperature and humidity impact on amaranth seeds leads to a decrease in their germination and the physiological and biochemical parameters of plants grown. Pre-sowing treatment with Gibbersib completely eliminates the effects of adverse factors. We recommend the Gibbersib application to grade up of amaranth seed grain; improve survival and adaptation of plants, their productivity and nutritional.