The effect of the aquatic and alcoholic extracts of bipod nettle weed on the growth and some biochemical features of tomato plant under the greenhouse condition

In this research the effects of bipod nettle aquatic and alcoholic extracts on the growth and some biochemical parameters of tomato plant, Super chef cultivar, were investigated under the greenhouse condition. For this purpose, aquatic and alcoholic extracts prepared from dried stems and leaves of nettle weed plant. Tomato seedlings were treated by direct injection of the extracts into the soil rhizosphere medium at the defined concentrations of 100,300 and 500 ppm. The growth and some biochemical parameters in treated tomato plants were assessed 3, 6, 9 and 14 days after treatment. The expression level of the SlHK4-Cytokinin inducer gene was also evaluated 14 days after the treatment using RT-sqPCR assay. Results showed that aquatic and alcoholic extracts of the nettle plants at the concentration of 500ppm significantly increased the relative growth rate, chlorophyll a and b concentratins, total phenol content, the specific activities of peroxidase (POX) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) as well as the expression level of SlHK4-Cytokinin inducer gene in treated tomato plants. The results of this study can be used as an applicable method to improve the growth of the tomato plant under the greenhouse condition.