Increased yield
and essential oils content in rhizomes of white turmeric (Curcuma aromatica Salisb.)
by plant growth regulators
Tran T.T. Hien, Nguyen H.B. Vinh, Tran Thanh Thang and Đo Thuong Kiet
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(3); 112-117;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/203rjbt1120117; (2025)
Abstract
White turmeric is a rhizome plant that contains essential oils and many secondary
metabolites having medicinal effects. In order to improve rhizome yield and essential
oil content, this study investigated the response of plant growth regulators to
the growth stages of white turmeric plants grown from mother tubers in an experimental
garden. After 2 weeks of treatment, the rhizomes were measured for fresh and dry
weight, rhizome length, sugar and starch content. Rhizome yield, number of rhizomes
per plant and essential oil content were measured after 24 weeks of treatment. The
results showed that fresh and dry weight as well as sugar content in white turmeric
rhizomes at the resting shoot stage increased after 2 weeks of treatment with concentrations
of 2 mg/L NAA and 10 mg/L BA, while this occurred at the elongated shoot stage when
treated with BA 10 mg/L and at the seedling stage when treated with 20 mg/L GA3
or 10 mg/L BA to compare with the control and other treatments.
However, at the seedling stage, the rhizome length when treated with 20 mg/L GA3
was longer, so the fresh weight of the rhizome was more when treated with 10 mg/L
BA. 24 weeks after the combined treatment of plant growth regulators (treated with
10 mg/L BA at week 0, treated with 10 mg/L at week 2 and treated with 20 mg/L GA3
at week 4), the rhizome yield per plant, the number of rhizomes and the essential
oil content increased significantly compared to the other treatments. The effects
of plant growth regulators on the yield and accumulation of white turmeric rhizomes
are also discussed.
