GIBBERELLIC ACID AND TRIACONTANOL CAN AMELIORATE THE OPIUM YIELD AND MORPHINE PRODUCTION IN OPIUM POPPY (PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM L.)

A simple pot experiment was conducted at the Department of Botany, Aligard Muslim University, Aligarh, India, during 2004–2005 on opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) to study the effect of foliar spray of 10^–6 M gibberellic acid (GA₃), 10^–6 M of triacontanol (TRIA) as well as the combination of the two plant growth regulators (PGRs) on growth, yield, quality and morphine content of the respective plant.
Among the three treatments, foliar spray of GA₃+TRIA significantly promoted the values of most of the physiological and biochemical parameters.
The crude opium production was also enhanced by this treatment.
Not only this, but the morphine content for which opium poppy is extensively valued, was also improved.
However the individual effect of GA₃ was at par with that of TRIA. The later also induced branching in plants.
Another important as well as interesting finding of this experiment was that the GA₃+TRIA treatment favored the development of capsules at uniform level of height in the branches which in turn will bring about a practical benefit of convenience in manual and/or mechanical lancing, collecting the latex and harvesting of opium poppy.

International Symposium on Medicinal and Nutraceutical Plants

M.M.A. Khan, R. Khan, M. Singh, S. Nasir, M. Naeem, M.H. Siddiqui, F. Mohammad

opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, medicinal plant, triacontanol, gibberellic acid, morphine

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.756.30