FEATURES OF GROWTH PROCESSES AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RADISH PLANTS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF RETARDANTS

The increase of the plants resistance to unfavorable environmental factors while increasing productivity plants is one of the perspective ways in vegetable growing. The purpose of our research was to highlight the results of studies of the regulation of growth processes and productivity of radish plants under the influence of drugs with retardant action - chlormequatchloride and ethephon. Our studies were performed on radishes of the Zorya variety. Radish plants were treated in the phase of formation of two leaves with 0.25% solution of ethephon and 0.25% solution of chlormequatchloride until complete wetting of the leaves. The control plants were treated with water. During the research the morphometric parameters of plants, leaf surface area, yield and chlorophyll content in plant leaves were determined. The use of retardants ethephon (0.25%) and chlormequatchloride (0.25%) on Zorya radish plants in the phase of 2-leaf formation caused the important changes in plant morphogenesis. It was established that plant height decreased, mass of the leaf and root enlarged, the area of leaf surface increased. Treatment of plants with ethyleneproducent ethephon (0.25%) inhibited growth of plant by 19% in height. The use of retardant chlormequatchloride (0.25%) inhibited growth by 4%. It was investigated that the use of retardants increased the number and weight of leaves in comparison with the control radish plants. Under the action of ethephon (0.25%) these indicators increased by 14% and 5%, accordingly, and under chlormequatchloride (0.25%) treatments - by 14% and 22%. It was found that the use of retardants increased the leaf surface area of radish plants. The leaf area increased by 22% when were treated with chlormequatchloride. The use of ethephon was less effective, because this parameter increased by only 11%. The use of growth regulators had a positive effect on the productivity of radish plants. The application of ethephon increased the weight of radish roots by 15%, the use of chlormequatchloride caused the enlarging weight of radish roots by 28%. Key words: morphogenesis, leaf surface area, productivity, retardants, radishes.