Evaluating the Interaction of Zinc and Copper on Biochemical Activities of Vegetatively Grown Bacopa monnieri (L.)

Abstract

To find out the effect of foliar application of zinc and copper alone/combinations on biochemical activities of Bacopa, an experiment was conducted during two successive years (2019-2020) of field experiment at GBPUA&T, Pantnagar. The treatments of ZnSO4 and CuSO4 given as (BM0: CONTROL; BM1:1ppm Cu; BM2:2.5ppm Zn; BM3:5ppm Zn; BM4:0.5ppm Cu+5ppm Zn; BM5:1ppm Cu+2.5ppm Zn; BM6:1ppm Cu+5ppm Zn). Two foliar application was given in 30 days of interval and samples were collected and analysed after 10 days of each spray. The experimental results revealed that the biochemical traits shown significant increment mostly with 1ppm CuSO4, 5ppm ZnSO4 and 2.5ppm ZnSO4 in photosynthetic pigments over control during 2019-2020. The plants response to 2.5ppm ZnSO4 significantly increased the NRA and protein content when compared with control in both year. The highest TPC noticed when plants subjected to 5ppm ZnSO4 than control during 2019. Whereas the highest values of phenols achieved at 1ppm CuSO4+5ppm ZnSO4 over control in 2020. The maximum value of TFC noticed when plants subjected to 1ppm CuSO4 and 5ppm ZnSO4 over control during 2019. While, maximum value of flavonoid content with 2.5ppm ZnSO4 when compared with control in 2020. Zn concentration increased significantly in 1ppm Cu+5ppm Zn treated plants while Cu content increased notably with both 1ppm Cu and 1ppm Cu+5ppm Zn treatments that of control plants in 2019 and 2020. The result also suggested 2.5ppm Zn treatment exhibit highest content of bacoside-A (0.31%).