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Abstract

Anatomical changes in internal tissue of stem and leaf when seed and plant treated with acids to enhance growth and development in maize was studied during the spring seasons of 2019 and 2020. Randomized complete block design was used with three replications. Main plots received foliar nutrition treatments, including ascorbic acid (AA), citric acid (CA), and humic acid (HA) at concentrations of 100 mg L–1, alongside HA at 1 ml L–1, with distilled water as the control. Sub-plots underwent corresponding treatments for seed soaking. Results indicated variations in vascular bundle size among treatments, with foliar CA treatment showing superior results in both years, as well as seed soaking in CA and HA. Interaction effects were observed, notably in 2019 with the combination of foliar CA and seed soaking with distilled water, and in 2020 with HA. Effects on leaf epidermis were minimal, with slight distortions in stomatal shapes observed with AA and CA treatments compared to the control. AA and HA treatments led to larger ordinary epidermal cells with straighter cell walls than the control, along with an increase in cork and silica cell size in treated plants. This study contributes to understanding anatomical modifications in maize leaves and stems during the growing season, shedding light on the potential impacts of acid treatments on plant physiology.

Keywords

Foliar nutrition, Growth regulators, Plant anatomy, Seed soaking, Zea mays L

Subject Area

Biology

Article Type

Article

First Page

866

Last Page

877

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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