• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.361-365
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• 2004

Chitin and its derivatives have been introduced to tomato seedlings by direct mixing of chitin, chitosan, or chitooligosaccharides (CO) with soils, watering of chitosan or CO solutions to soils, or chitosan-coating of tomato seeds as a biomodulator of plant growth, and the growth of tomato plants was measured 30- and 45-day after seeding in the pots. The treatment of chitin and its derivatives promoted the growth of tomato plants in plant heights, shoot weight, maximum leaf length and number of leaves. By comparison in the contents of cellular inorganic nutrients in the plants, it was found out that chitin or chitosan treatments accelerated nitrogen and potassium uptake but inhibit calcium uptake, suggesting that chitin and its derivatives modulate absorption of inorganic nutrients through plant roots from environment.