Effect of Plant Growth Regulators and Coconut Milk on Vegetative Growth of Amaranthus hybridus and Telfairia occidentalis

The study assessed the single and combined effects of plant growth regulators (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA; 50 ppm), Gibberellic acid (GA3; 100 ppm) and coconut milk (CM; 15%) on vegetative growth – plant height, leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf area, number of leaves and number of branches – of Telfairia occidentalis and Amaranthus hybridus. The experiment consisted of two plants, five (5) replicates, and eight (8) treatments – GA3;IAA; CM; GA3 + IAA; IAA + CM; GA3 + CM; and GA3 + IAA + CM; including control – in a completely randomized design. Plant height in both A. hybridus and T. occidentalis were highest in treatment GA3, and were significantly different (P<0.05) from all other treatments. Leaf length of A. hybridus was highest in treatment GA3; however, in T occidentalis, it was highest in treatments GA3+ IAA and CM, respectively. Moreover, treatments GA3, IAA + CM, and GA3 + IAA + CM had the highest leaf breadth in both plants. Furthermore, leaf area was highest in treatments IAA+CM, and CM in A. hybridus and T. occidentalis, respectively. Treatments GA3, had the highest number of leaves in both plants. The number of branches varied significantly (P<0.05) between treatments, especially in T. occidentalis, but was not significantly different (P>0.05) between treatments in A. hybridus. In conclusion, the study suggests that single or combined treatments of GA3 had the most impact on overall growth of these vegetables.