Evaluation of surf excel - A detergent as chemical hybridizing agent in radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Abstract

Surf excel, a popular synthetic detergent commonly used for removing all kinds of dirts, consists of surface-active agents, builders (phosphates) and fillers. In addition, it has additives e.g. anti deposition agents, optical brighteners, bluing agent, bleaching agent, foam regulator, organic sequestering agent and enzyme. It has been successfully used as a cher.'1ical hybridizing agent for some crops e.g., Nicotiana tabacum [1] and Capsicum annuum, Lycopersicon esculentum and Abe/moschus esculentus [2]. Therefore, present experiment was conducted for testing surf excel as a chemical hybridizing agent in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) var. Hill Queen. The seeds of this variety obtained from National Seed Corporation, Agra were sown at Agra. The experiment was laid out in a randomized row design with five replicates with ninety plants each. The distance between row to row was 75 cm and between plant to plant it was 45 cm. The plants were sprayed with aqueous solutions of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% (wlv) surf excel. Ninety plants were sprayed a week before the initiation of first floral buds (T1). Leaving a group of 30 plants after first treatment, the remaining 60 plants were sprayed again at the time of floral bud initiation (T2)' Again after leaving a group of 30 plants, the other 30 were sprayed at the time of anthesis, thus receiving three sprays (T3).