Published on : 31 Dec 2022

Author(s) :

K. K. I. U. Arunakumara ,K. G. Ketipearachchi,B. C. Walpola

Corresponding Author :

K. K. I. U. Arunakumara

 

Gyrinops walla Gaertn belongs to family Thymelaeaceae is the only agarwood producing plant species naturally found in Sri Lanka. With the recognition of its ability to produce highly valuable agarwood, the species is under threat due to illegal harvesting from the natural habitats. Commercial cultivation of the species is yet to be started due to lack of information on relevant cultural practices. The present study was therefore aimed at evaluating the effect of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) on growth of G. walla seedlings. The experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna from August 2019 to May 2020. Different combinations of Gibberellic acid (GA3) and 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) were tested as foliar applications in an experiment arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replicates. Stem height, stem diameter, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root were measured as growth parameters. The combination treatment of GA3 and 6-BAP at 50 ppm and 100 ppm respectively resulted in significantly (p<0.05) higher stem height, stem diameter, leaf area, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots compared to those of the control which did not receive any growth regulator. Furthermore the treatment significantly (p<0.05) increased the shoot: root ratio also compared to the control. Based on the results, foliar application of GA3 (50 ppm) along with 6-BAP (100 ppm) can be recommended to enhance the seedling growth of G. walla.