Effect of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide on mulukhiya (Corchorus olitorius) growth and flowering

Abstract

This study focuses on evaluation of the effect of NO2 at ambient concentrations on vegetative growth and reproduction of mulukhiya (Corchorus olitorius) plants. Treatment of mulukhiya plants with 50 ppb NO2, in a controlled chamber, promoted vegetative growth and flowering as well. Treated plants produced more biomass and flowered early, whereas the control plants produced less biomass and flowered late. This result indicates that ambient NO2 boost plants' growth parameters and enhance development. NO 2 may act directly as an external signaling molecule to stimulate flowering and/or indirectly to promote leaf growth and hence affect the flowering signals that moves from the leaf through the phloem to the shoot apical meristem (SAM) leading to the overall performance of plant development and reproduction. © 2008 Academic Journals Inc.