Changes in the Ovarian Polyamine Content and Seed Set Efficiency of Cotton by the Plant Growth Regulator BM86

Abstract

Naturally occurring polyamines in plants have been implicated in floral initiation, and fruit development. The plant growth regulator BM86 was formulated to stimulate seed production and fruit growth by enhancing polyamine synthesis. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of BM86 on free polyamine content in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) ovaries and on seed set efficiency, and also to investigate genotypic differences in ovarian polyamine content. BM86 was applied at the first flower stage and two weeks later at 2.34 mL/ha. This study showed that application of BM86 had a significant positive effect on ovarian polyamine content of cotton. Putrescine and spermidine one week after the 1 st BM86 application and putrescine two week after the 1 st BM86 application, were significantly increased compared to the untreated control. Higher seed set efficiency with the BM86 application was observed when the total number of seeds was used for the calculation. However, when the number of harvestable seeds was used to calculate seed set efficiency BM86 had no significant effect. In addition, application of BM86 did not significantly alter seedcot-ton yield of the crop. Only small differences in ovarian polyamine content were detected among the genotypes tested, possibly due to the narrow genetic pool of the commercial cotton genotypes used. Application of BM86 can significantly increase cotton seed number by enhancing polyamines biosynthesis, but further research is needed to determine how to capitalize on the increased potential number of harvestable seeds.