Foliar spraying of Brassica carinata (cv. PC 5) with paclobutrazol (PP 333) at 5, 10 and 20 pg ml-' concentrations, reduced plant height significantly and modified the canopy structure by enhancing the number of branches (primary, secondary and tertiary) and the angle of insertion of primary branches on the main axis. The seed yield per plant also increased mainly due to increase in the number of siliquae per plant. Paclobutrazol increased total dry matter of plants and partitioning coefficients. The leaves in paclobutrazol-treated plants exhibited higher chlorophyll content, and they remained intact on plants for longer than the controls. The seeds from paclobutrazol-treated plants had higher levels of proteins, starch and total soluble sugars but less total seed oil content.

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Mixtalol (a mixture of long chain aliphatic alcohols varying in chain length from C 24 to C 72 ) applied to Brassica juncea plants as foliar spray caused an increase in secondary and tertiary branching with consequent enhancement in seed yield through increased number of inflorescences and siliquae per plant . The percentage of immature siliquae and shattering of siliquae decreased with this treatment . Mixtalol increased total dry matter of plants, partitioning coefficient and harvest index . The contents of starch, protein and oil were also higher in seeds from Mixtalol treated plants .

Foliar spraying of paclobutrazol(5,lO and 20 pg mL-') on Brassica juncea (cv. RLM 5 14) plants, at the green floral bud stage of the terminal inflorescence, exerted a profound effect on growth and metabolism of fruits (siliquae). Paclobutrazol caused a decrease in siliqua length but enhanced significantly siliqua width, seed size (diameter) and seed number per siliqua. Paclobutrazol increased dry matter production and also hastened the relative growth rate of the siliqua wall and seed. In paclobutrazol-treated plants the siliquae were darker green, and during active phases of growth both siliqua wall and seed exhibited higher total chlorophyll (Chl) content, decreased chl a/b ratios, greater Hill reaction activity of chloroplasts and increased activities of a-amylase, ,0-amylase and invertase than controls. Paclobutrazol enhanced the levels of total soluble sugars, starch, protein and free amino acids in mature seeds. The seed oil content increased by 2 to 3 per cent with a treatment of 10 pg mL-i pacolobutrazol.

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