Scholarly record

EFFECTS OF SOSNOWSKY'S HOGWEED BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE METABOLITES ON GREEN CROPS PRODUCTIVITY IN MURMANSK REGION

Svetlana Kozlova

Abstract

Inspite the fact of high invasive activity of hogweed plants (Heracleum Sosnowskyi Manden.) and that nowadays this species already poses a serious threat to human health in most Russian regions, the photosensitizing properties of its secondary metabolites allow to suggest the possibility of their use in agriculture and medicine. ?o confirm this assumption, we studied effects of hogweed biologically active substances on green crops cultivated by agricultural enterprises in the Murmansk region (Russia). It was found that in low concentrations the acetone extracts of hogweed accelerate growth of crops as a result of water and/or dry matter content increase in photosynthetic tissues, usually accompanied with increase of pigment level. The studied crops were arranged in the following sequences depends on the degree of hogweed extracts induced increase of: the dry/wet weight ratio (coriander < sorrel < celery < salad < parsley), and the pigment content (parsley < sorrel < salad < coriander < celery). Taking into account that dry/wet weight ratio, together with green and yellow pigments level, can serve as an indirect characteristic of the food and adaptogenic value of crops, the established sequences will facilitate the implementation and further development of the technology of hogweed secondary metabolites usage for crops productivity improve. Effect of growth stimulation under hogweed extracts treatment is practically important with respect to the prospects for a new technologies development in order to improve crops production in Arctic.

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