Analysis of the potential application of chitosan to improve vegetative growth and reduce transpiration rate in Amaranthus hybridus

Various benefits have been attributed to chitosan in agriculture. This research is aimed at identifying the optimal concentration of chitosan to increase vegetative growth of Amaranthus hybridus L. (green amaranth) and also to determine the effectiveness of chitosan to enable A. hybridus cope with drought stress by acting as an antitranspirant agent. The concentrations of chitosan used to amend the growing medium were 0, 10, 30, 50 and 70 ppm. Results showed that chitosan significantly increased the height of A. hybridus by up to 19.59 % and also significantly increased the number of leaves at 10 ppm. However, chitosan treatment had no effect on chlorophyll content and fresh or dry weight although dosage response was highest at 10 ppm. In addition, chitosan reduced the transpiration rate by 36.66-66.26 %. Therefore, chitosan treatment could be an alternative way to reduce drought stress.