This research examine the actual growth, yield and certain metabolic activities of quinoa plants in response to foliar treatments with GA 3 50 ppm, JA 20 ppm and Asc. 50 ppm. Plants were grown in natural clay loamy soil conditions and treated with every of the aforementioned treatments. The treated plants showed significant responses in most of the growth and yield characteristics (lengths of shoots and roots, number of branches/plant, number of leaves/ plant, plant biomass and weight of 1000-seed). Also, these treatments caused significant increases in the contents of photosynthetic pigments, soluble carbohydrates, soluble proteins and total phenols content. This was the case during the entire duration of time period of the experiment. Egypt, Seeds of quinoa were sown in plots (4 m width and 10 m length). The plot contained 12 rows, 70 cm apart and the hills were spaced at 20 cm distance. Lit of seeds were sown in each hill, and the stand was later thinned to two plant per hill. Land preparations, agricultural operations followed the normal practices of crops cultivation in the clay loamy soils, the 12 rows divided into 4 groups representing the following treatments:
Stimulatory Effect of Hormones1. Tap water (control) 2. Gibberellic acid (50 ppm) 3. Jasmonic acid (20 ppm)
Ascorbic acid (50 ppm)The plants of Chenopodium quinoa Willd were treated triple with the above mentioned treatments (as foliage spraying). The first treatment was made when the age of plants was 30 days, while the second treatment was made when the age of plants was 60 days and the third treatment was made when the age of plants was 90 days. The plant samples were collected for analysis when the plants were 40 (Stage I), 70 (Stage II) and 100 (stage III) days old. At the end of the growth season (170 days), analyses of the seeds yielded from the different treatments as well as the control were done.
Analysis of soilAnalysis of soil were record Physical properties and chemical properties (Tables 1 and 2).
Measurement of soil and growth parametersShoot length (cm), root length (cm), number of leaves per/plant, number of branches per/plant, fresh and dry weights of shoots (g/ plant), fresh and dry weights of roots (g/plant), weight of 1000-seeds (g) were determined at different growth stages.
Chemical analysisPhotosynthetic pigments were estimated using the method of Ref.[23] Contents of soluble carbohydrates were measured according to the method of Ref. [24]. Contents of soluble proteins were estimated according to the methods of Ref. [25]. Phenolic compounds were estimated according to the methods of Ref. [26]. total lipids were estimated according to the methods of Ref. [27]. Total saponin were estimated according to the methods of Ref. [28,29].
Statistical methodsAll statistical calculations were done using computer programs. Microsoft excel version 10 and spss (statistica package for the social science version 20.00) statistical program at 0.05 level of probability [30] the One-way ANOVA was presented using percentage, mean ±stand...