Paper 1

The Effect of Asafetida on Root Initiation in Common

        Bean Plants;

G. R. Kantharaj, National College, Bangalore 560004

         Cur. Sc. 139-40, 1971.

This experiment was prompted me by the observation that people in villages are used use asafetida, a common culinary material in Indian families for rooting of stem cutting for vegetative propagation.  This material in local language is called “INGU”.

In order to test its efficacy 10% solution and added to each flask containing half strength Hoagland’s solution and placed stem cuttings of dark grown Phaseolus vulgaris Linn.  Treatment of cuttings varied from 30 minutes to 90 minutes.  The hypocotyls were taken out and washed; then they are placed in half strength Hoagland’s’ solution. With in 36-48 hrs of treatment new root (adventitious root) protrubences were seen.  The number of roots developed per cutting varied depending on the strength of “Ingu” and the duration of treatment.  Transverse section of the hypocotyls showed the root primordials developed from the pericyclic regions found in between split exarch xylem bundles. The average number of roots produced is given in the table.

Table I

Asafetida %	No. of roots/10 segments
0	Nil
1	3.1
2	30.5
4	65.8
6	73.1
8	75.3
10	74.2

Note: Increased concentration of asafetida treated for 30 minutes

Table II

Duration of treatment/min	No of roots formed/10 segments
0	1.2
4	43.2
8	74.6
12	76.8
20	76.4
30	75.8

Note: Using 105 asafetida cuttings were treated for different duration

Acknowledgement:  I thank the National College, Bangalore, authorities for allowing me to use the lab for conducting these experiments.  Dr. Narayan Rao, retired Prof. from Dept. of Botany, Bangalore University, Bangalore for helping me in the publication of this piece of work. Later i.e. after sending the paper for publication and acceptance, I realized that this “INGU “contained Indole compounds, then I did use Indole Butyric Acid (an auxin) and found

Reference . Nil only observation from village farmers