Effect of vermicompost on Andrographis paniculata L. grown in stress condition of Chlorpyrifos

Abstract

The effect of Vermicompost on a medicinal plant of great economic significance has been monitored. The plant Andrographis paniculata L. of family Lamiaceae is widely used all over the world for its biologically active ingredients containing diterpenoid, flavonoids, and polyphenols. The effect of Chlorpyrifos along with Vermicompost has been monitored on this plant. On one hand treatment of Vermicompost has been made to stimulate the growth and development of the test plant, an attempt has also been made to study the growth of the test plant under the stress condition of Chlorpyrifos. It has been noticed that the germination of the test plant increases with the lapse of time in the presence of Vermicompost as 100% growth is attained in 10 days. This value is 42.9% without Vermicompost during the same period of time. Low concentration of Chlorpyrifos (01%) also favors germination up to the extent of 50% in presence of Vermicompost the value is 25% in presence of (01%) of Chlorpyrifos but without Vermicompost. There has been marked reduction in the rate of germination in presence of 02% of Chlorpyrifos in the atmosphere of Vermicompost the germination is reduced by 25% this is further reduced to 15% in 03% of Chlorpyrifos. This value has been 20% and 10% in the presence of 02% and 03% of Chlorpyrifos in presence of Vermicompost. Plant height has also been taken into account for such type of treatment and it shows that with a lapse of time the plant height increases with 15% of Vermicompost. This rising trend continues even in 01%, 02% and 03% of Chlorpyrifos. An increase in the number of leaves means an increase in productivity. A similar trend of increase as described in germination and plant height has been also recorded in the emergence of leaves. With the lapse of time, the number increases during various treatments made. Test plants under treatment exhibited different kinds of morphological variations. As a prelude leaves of different treatments were used for calculating the area of leaves. This feature has also been found to be similar to the results described above i.e. with the increase in days of treatment the area of the leaf increases. The result described above has been presented below.