Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2025)

Combined effect of seed treatment on chemical constituents of root exudates in Chilli cv. Plr 1

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.7015
Submitted
2 January 2025
Published
29-04-2025 — Updated on 09-05-2025
Versions

Abstract

A well-recognized spice and vegetable crop, chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) is prized for its color, flavor and nutritional content. Chillies are frequently grown in warm temperate, tropical and subtropical regions. It is indigenous to tropical South America and is a member of the Solanaceae family. One of the causes of the low chilli output is the slow and irregular germination of chilli seeds. Chilli seeds can germinate slowly and inconsistently for a variety of reasons. The two most important elements are illnesses and pests. Even while many insecticides and fungicides shield plants from diseases, it is impossible to overlook the buildup of residues in the economy and their effects on soil microorganisms, both positive and negative. The present study was conducted to analyze volatile compounds in treated chilli plants. Root exudates were collected and analyzed from 15 and 30 day old seedlings. GC-MS analysis revealed that seedlings treated with seeds produced a greater number of volatile compounds than the control samples. Specifically, treated seedlings emitted volatile compounds such as Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (31.73%), 1-Hexadecanol (25.65%) and Benzaldehyde (16.42%) at 15 days, compared to 32.19% Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester and 26.42% Benzaldehyde in control seedlings. These compounds are known for their antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Additionally, germination rates showed a slight improvement in treated seeds (82%) compared to control seeds (80%), while vigor index values for treated seeds were 1148, compared to 1192 for control. Dry matter production was slightly higher in treated seeds (10.8 mg/10 seedlings) versus control (10.2 mg/10 seedlings). Notably, the root exudates of 15-day- old seedlings emitted 65 volatile compounds, significantly more than the 20 compounds emitted by the 30-day-old seedlings. These findings emphasize the dynamic nature of root exudates during early plant development and the potential role of seed treatments in influencing volatile compound profiles.

References

  1. Zagade SN, Deshpande GD, Gawade DB, Atnoorkar AA, Pawar SV. Biocontrol agents and fungicides for management of damping off in chilli. World J Agric Sci. 2012;8(6):590–97.
  2. Alam MZ, Hamim I, Ali MA, Ashrafuzzaman M. Effect of seed treatment on seedling health of chili. J Environ Sci Nat Resour. 2014;7(1):177–81. https://doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v7i1.22167
  3. Berke T, Sheih SC. Chilli peppers in Asia. Capsicum Eggplant Newsl. 2000;19:38–41.
  4. Ahmed K, Mohamed MG, Murthy NSR. Yield losses due to various pests in hot pepper. Capsicum Newsl. 1987;6:83–84.
  5. Kandasamy C, Mohanasundaram M, Karuppachamy P. Evaluation of insecticides for the control of thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, in chillis (Capsicum annum L.). Madras Agric J. 1990;77(3-4):169–72. https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.A01938
  6. Nelson SJ, Natarajan S. Economic threshold level of thrips in semi-dry chilli. South Indian Hortic. 1994;42(5):336–38.
  7. Kumar NKK. Yield loss in chilli and sweet pepper due to – Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Pest Manag Hortic Ecosyst. 1995;1(2):61–69.
  8. Bozhkov AI, Kovalova MK, Azeez ZA, Goltvjansky AV. The effect of pre-sowing seed treatment on seedlings growth rate and their excretory activity. Regul Mech Biosyst. 2020;11(1):60–66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01727-3
  9. Alahmad A, Harir M, Fochesato S, Tulumello J, Walker A, Barakat M, et al. Unraveling the interplay between root exudates, microbiota, and rhizosheath formation in pearl millet. Microbiome. 2024;12(1):1. https://doi.org/10.15421/022008
  10. Nardi S, Tosoni M, Pizzeghello D, Provenzano MR, Cilenti A, Sturaro A, et al. Chemical characteristics and biological activity of organic substances extracted from soils by root exudates. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 2000;69:2012–20. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2004.0401
  11. Walker GP, Perring TM. Feeding and oviposition behavior of whiteflies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) interpreted from AC electronic feeding monitor waveforms. Ann Entomol Soc Am. 1994;87:363–74. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/87.3.363
  12. Kumar V, Swaminathan R, Singh H. Bio-efficacy of newer insecticides against sucking insect pests of chilli. Ann Plant Prot Sci. 2015;23(1):69–73.
  13. Canarini A, Kaiser C, Merchant A, Richter A, Wanek W. Root exudation of primary metabolites: mechanisms and their roles in plant responses to environmental stimuli. Front Plant Sci. 2019;10:157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00157
  14. International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). International Rules of Seed Testing. Proc Int Seed Testing Association. 1996;19–41.
  15. Qun HZ, Junan Z, HaoRu T, Zhi H. Different vegetables crops in response to allelopathic effects of hot pepper root exudates. World Appl Sci J. 2012;19(9):1289–94.
  16. Mahadkar S, Valvi S, Jadhav V. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of bioactive compounds from five medicinally relevant wild edible plants. Asian J Pharm Clin Res. 2013;6(1):136–39.
  17. Selvamangai G, Bhaskar A. GC-MS analysis of phytocomponents in the methanolic extract of Eupatorium triplinerve. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2012;1(1):2. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(12)60410-9
  18. Antara S, Amla B. Chemical composition of methanolic extract of the leaves of Melia azedarach L. Asian J Pharm Clin Res. 2012;5(3):42–45.
  19. Archibold DD, Hamilton-Kemp TR, Barth MM, Langlois BE. Identifying natural volatile compounds that control gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) during postharvest storage of strawberry, blackberry and grape. J Agric Food Chem. 1997;45(10):4032–37. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf970332w
  20. Hendricks SB, Taylorson RB. Promotion of seed germination by nitrate, nitrite, hydroxylamine and ammonium salts. Plant Physiol. 1974;54(3):304–09. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.54.3.304
  21. Taylor TWJ, Baker W. Sidgwick's organic chemistry of nitrogen. New Edition. 1937; p. 185.
  22. Avis TJ. Antifungal compounds that target fungal membranes: application in plant disease control. Can J Plant Pathol. 2007;29:323–29. https://doi.org/10.1080 /07060660709507478
  23. Avis TJ, Be'langer RR. Specificity and mode of action of the antifungal fatty acid cis-9-heptadecenoic acid produced by Pseudozyma flocculosa. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2001;67(2):956–60. https://doi.org/10.1128/
  24. AEM.67.2.956-960.2001
  25. Vancura V, Hovadik A. Composition of root exudates in the course of plant development. Plant Soil. 1965;21–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01377686
  26. Blaylock MS, Dushenkv S, Zakharavo O, Gussman C, Kapulnik Y, Ensley B, et al. Enhanced accumulation of Pb in Indian mustard by soil-applied chelating agents. Environ Sci Technol. 1997;31:860–65. https://doi.org/10.1021/es960 552a
  27. Kai M, Effmert U, Berg G, Piechulla B. Volatiles of bacterial antagonists inhibit mycelial growth of the plant pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. Arch Microbiol. 2007;187:351–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-006-0199-0
  28. Kai M, Haustein M, Molina F, Petri A, Scholz B, Piechulla B. Bacterial volatiles and their action potential. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2009;81:1001–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-008-1760-3
  29. Garbeva P, Hordijk C, Gerards S, De Boer W. Volatile-mediated interactions between phylogenetically different soil bacteria. Front Microbiol. 2014;5:289. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00289
  30. Garbeva P, Hordijk C, Gerards S, De Boer W. Volatiles produced by the mycophagous soil bacterium Collimonas. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2014;87:639–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/1574-6941.12252
  31. Smitha R, Venugopal S, Surendran E. Physiological and biochemical alterations in Capsicum annum treated with thiamethoxam for enhanced productivity under abiotic stress. Plant Growth Regul. 2021;95(2):209–22.
  32. Liu S, Ruan W, Li J, Xu H, Wang J, Gao Y, et al. Biological control of phytopathogenic fungi by fatty acids. Mycopathologia. 2008;166:93–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9124-1
  33. Shukla KV, Sharma S, Singh NK, Singh V, Tiwari K, Singh S. Nature and role of root exudates: efficacy in bioremediation. Afr J Biotechnol. 2011;10(48):9717–24. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB10.2552

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.