Page 283 - e-Book

Effect Of Pesticide On One Of The Vital And Naturally Available Components In

Lycopersicon Esculentum Mill. (Variety Laxmi, F1 Hybrid): Vitamin-C (Ascorbic
Acid)

1*
2
REENA S. MESHRAM AND ALKA CHATURVEDI

1 Assistant Professor Department of Botany, Nabira Mahavidyalaya, Katol, Nagpur,
Maharashtra, India
2 Ex-Head and Professor Department of Botany, P.G.T.D. of Botany, RTMNU, Nagpur

Email of corresponding author: reena5980@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Vitamin C is one of the vital vitamins among the group of different vitamins. It acts as an

excellent radical scavenger, not only for its capacity to donate reducing equivalents but also

for the relative stability of the derived monodehydroascorbate radical. Together with
antioxidant property, it is act as a cofactor for numerous enzymes involved in plant and

animal metabolism. In human it performs different vital physiological processes. Such a
diverse molecule is present in many foods, such as fruits and vegetables and in comparison to

all it is found in abundant amount in tomatoes. To increase the production of food which
combats with the overgrowing population in India, farmers use different pesticides for

tomatoes. In present study we observed the effect of Profex super (Profenofos 40% +

Cypermethrin 4% EC) insecticide on content of vitamin C in tomatoes (Variety Laxmi, F1
Hybrid). The insecticide was given as recommended (30ml/15L) and doubles the

recommended doses (60ml/15L) under field conditions. Five doses were given to the plants at
the interval of ten days. It has been determined that control plants fruits shows higher

vitamin-C content as compared to recommended and double the recommended doses. Among
the recommended doses, high vitamin C was obtained in recommended dose-2 whereas in

double recommended doses, it shows more or less same results.

Keywords: Pesticide, Vitamin-C, F1 Hybrid, tomato.
INTRODUCTION:

We don’t need much of them, but we cannot live without them. Vitamins are the set of

thirteen substances that our body needs. Vitamins are organic compounds occur naturally in
food; particularly in vegetables that our body does not make on its own. Vitamin was first

discovered by the physiological effects of its absence from regular diet and changes were
seen after its reintroduction. Vitamins are important for teeth, bone, hair, skin, vision,

reproduction, etc. Vitamins are required in very less amount but its importance is quiet large.

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