Investigations of Growth Promoting Activity of Some Phenolic Acids

Abstract

The effect of phenolic acids as caffeic, ferulic or salicylic acids at low concentrations (up to 30 ppm) were investigated on faba bean growth, yield and some physiological processes. The experiments were carried out during the two growing seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 at the Research and Production Station, National  Research  Centre,  Nubaria  Province,  Behaira  Governorate,  Egypt. Caffeic, ferulic or salicylic acids increased growth of faba bean plant over the untreated control. Caffeic acid at 20 ppm. showed observable significant increase in dry weight of shoot. Regarding the effect of phenolic acids on some chemical compounds, caffeic acid is seemed to be having the greatest promotive effect on total photosynthetic pigments in fresh leaf tissues. The results also reveal that caffeic acid up to 30 ppm was superior concerning the total free amino acids. The increase in growth and photosynthetic pigments of faba bean plant was accompanied by increase in seed yield/plant and seed yield/feddan. Data also showed that all the tested phenolic acids increased seed yield and yield components specially caffeic acid at 20 ppm. 

Moreover, all applied treatments caused marked increases in carbohydrate, protein and phenolic contents in the yielded seeds. The most optimum treatment was caffeic acid at 20 ppm. On the other hand, vicine content in yielded seeds was significantly decreased by all treatments than that of the untreated plants (control). The results suggested the possibility of using caffeic, ferulic or salicylic acids at low concentrations as growth promoters of faba bean plant.