ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Effect of induced stress treatments on Zingiber officinale Rosc. cv-Varada with respect to its growth dynamics and phytochemical characterization

Extensively speaking, environmental stresses have a significant negative impact on agriculture. Plants have developed a multitude of defense responses that allow them to adapt, survive and reproduce under stress conditions. In the present study the effect of different individual stress treatments and their combined treatments on the yield, growth antioxidant activity and phytochemicals of (Zingiber officinale cv-varada) were analyzed. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with 12 replications of each trial. The different stress treatments were attempted using Salicylic acid and Zinc Sulphate (10^-2 & 10^-3 Molar). Along with these two, drought is also taken as a third stress. The results of Individual and combination of stress treatments were obtained. The present study gives an idea about the effect of individual as well as combined stress treatments in both morphological (yield and growth parameters) antioxidant activity and the phytochemicals. A difference in the total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity was observed in different trials. This also gives a clear picture about cross tolerance in which one stress influenced the effect of another.